Student Teacher in the Mountains

CJ Turner

Contents

Spoiler Alert:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

Message from CJ

Sneak Peek

Chapter 1

Also by CJ Turner

Copyright © 2021 by CJ Turner

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, without the written permission of the copyright holder, except in case of brief quotations and within critical reviews and articles.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Spoiler Alert:

“Student Teacher in the Mountains” has a BONUS second epilogue available for free.

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Chapter 1

Asher

With one bag clutched to his chest and the other bracketed between his feet, Asher gazed out of the bus window. He’d been traveling all day, and the sun was just beginning to set in the distance. Pink and orange filled the bright sky and illuminated the tops of the trees which surrounded the highway they sped down. As far as the eye could see, there was woodland. Asher had never seen something so awe-inspiring, and though he refused to admit he believed in such things, he thought the beautiful landscape was a good omen.

To new beginnings, he thought with a smile.

He dragged his eyes away from the window to look back down at the ticket in his hand. The journey from Mountain Shadow, Colorado, all the way along to the East Coast had taken a lot out of him. His eyes were weary, and his lips were a little sore from biting down on them nervously. He tucked the ticket away in his pants pocket; he wasn’t sure why he’d been clinging onto it so tightly.

On the bright side, at least he didn’t have to make the journey alone. Asher’s dark blue eyes turned to look at the seat next to him where an older, bright-eyed Chow Chow laid with his head on Asher’s knee. The dog was content to rest while the engine of the bus churned away and the road underneath them turned bumpy. Unlike Asher, the dog seemed quite at ease with the big changes happening in their lives.

Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

With one heavy hand busy petting his dog’s neck, Asher pulled his phone from his pocket and thumbed through the options. He checked the email confirming his apartment rental and the address of the real estate agency. The plan was for him to collect his keys there before heading to the place he would be living in for the foreseeable future. Once he noted that everything was in order, Asher began scrolling through Instagram with a smile. A recently downloaded app named Must Love Dogs popped up on the screen with a notification.

“Five new matches in your area!” the little banner read, and Asher grimaced at the sight. It had been something suggested by a friend back home, a dating app centered around dogs. Yet Asher had never found anybody on it he was interested in past their dog, and maybe the occasional one-night stand. All right, sue him, he had needs, okay?

Now, however, he’d have to update his location to Hillsboro. That is if he planned to keep trying with the stupid app.

Did he really want to start dating someone new on top of everything else changing in his life? He wasn’t sure.

Unable to make a decision then and there, Asher shoved his phone back in his pocket with a huff and slumped back in his seat. With his free hand, he played with his lip ring while his other hand continued stroking through his dog’s soft fur. It was safe to say he was worried about more than just romantic prospects. He was moving halfway across the country to start college finally, and that thought alone was enough to make his heart race.

“Everything is gonna be just fine, isn’t that right, Chowder?” he muttered under his breath to his companion, petting him as he spoke. “It’s a big step—no, a huge step—but with you by my side, I can do anything. Isn’t that right, buddy?”

The calm-tempered dog raised his head and snuffled at Asher’s hand before letting out a deep little woof. It was enough to reassure Asher and get him to settle down a little more. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift to hopeful thoughts of what his new life would be like. He thought of having his own space for the first time in his life. He imagined how exciting his classes would be. He wondered if he would make friends with the other students . . .

Just as Asher was sinking deeper into his musings, the bus came to a clunking halt causing him to jerk upright in his seat. Chowder raised his head and began looking around, curious about what was going on. The other people using the bus service began to stand and collect their luggage before shuffling off the vehicle. Asher wasn't in as much of a hurry, however, still feeling the anticipation creeping through his bones.

Before he could linger too long, however, Chowder was already stepping down from his seat and stretching out his short legs along the aisle. He turned his fluffy brown face over his shoulder to look up at Asher with an impatient expression.

“All right, all right, I’m coming,” Asher said with a fond smile. He gathered his bags and took hold of Chowder’s leash before disembarking.

Feeling the hard sidewalk under his feet after such a long journey made Asher sigh with relief. They’d had short breaks, of course, but it had been barely enough time to let Chowder do his business before they had to jump back on the bus. Asher also hadn’t managed to get much sleep while traveling, so he dragged his feet toward the real estate agent’s office, where he collected his keys and then followed the map on his phone to his new apartment.

When he looked up at his apartment building, Asher felt hope flood throughout his entire body. The building was small and painted white with exposed redbrick pillars. The roof was tiled in brown, and there were wrought iron balconies along one side. It consisted of three apartments, each with large windows on the west side. It was even more beautiful than the pictures Asher had seen, and he felt a weight lift from his chest at the sight.

Inside was just as nice if a little sparsely decorated. But that was fine. All he really needed was a shower and a bed and something to cook with. Besides, Asher could always buy extra furniture and decorations now that he was there himself.

"What do you think, buddy?" Asher asked, crouching down to release the leash from his dog's collar.

Chowder reserved judgment at first. He trotted across the hardwood floors, his nails clacking as he went, and sniffed at the air. He circled around the living room floor once before settling on the worn rug near the sofa.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" Asher commented to himself before opening up his bags and beginning to unpack his few belongings. First were all of Chowder's things: his bowl, kibble, and toys. After they were placed on the tiled floor of the little kitchenette, Asher moved to the only bedroom and unpacked the small amount of clothes he'd brought with him along with his laptop.

Since he didn't have anything else to do until orientation tomorrow, Asher relaxed back onto the sofa and began to flick through the channels on the TV. He was still feeling a little queasy from nerves, and he wasn't normally a fan of conventional television anyway, so it didn't surprise Asher when he found himself unable to concentrate on anything.

He sighed and reached down to pet Chowder once more, enjoying the comfort of his pet. As much as Asher loved his dog, he knew he needed more human contact. He'd left behind his friends and what little family he had in Colorado. With a reluctant sigh, Asher opened up the Must Love Dogs app.

Upon revisiting, his first thought was that his profile was rather short and sharp. It listed his first name, location, and a simple bio which read, “Life’s a climb, but look at that view.” It was a little cliché, he was well aware of it, but he wasn’t going to put something raw and honest on a dating profile. That just wasn’t him. He had, however, included two pictures of himself, both of which had Chowder in them too. One was of the two of them following a trail up a hill back home, while the other was a selfie of them both lounging on his mom’s sofa.

He stared down at his screen for a long time, trying to figure out what he should add or if he should change anything. The easiest thing to change was his location. That was simple, straightforward, and didn’t require too much introspective thinking. Once it was updated, he was flooded with new potential dates, but before he looked through any of them, Asher went back to his own profile. Overall he knew it was lacking. He’d known that when he first set up the thing, but his friend, Landon, had told him that on this app, the profile didn’t matter as much as the questions you answered. But even then, Asher had answered the bare minimum to be able to use the app.

I guess I should start there, he mused before tapping through the screens until the app brought up new questions. As was the theme with this particular dating site, all the questions were centered around the users’ canine companions. It felt easier at least to be giving answers about dogs instead of about himself; he’d never been great at opening up.

The first question read, Which of these options would make for a perfect afternoon walk with your dog? a) A long hike in the mountains. b) A short jog around the block. c) A meet-up at the local dog park with other owners.

Asher stared down at the question and thought about it for a long moment. While it was true that growing up in Colorado left him with a fondness for hiking, he much preferred the chance to socialize, and so did Chowder. He selected the final option and settled into his seat, prepared to submit as many responses as he could.

When Asher checked the time next, it was almost midnight. He’d been so wrapped up in filling out the quiz that he’d forgotten how late it already was. With a big yawn, Asher took to his feet and headed for the bathroom. After cleaning himself up a bit and brushing his teeth, he changed into a pair of loose shorts and crawled into the bed. Chowder wasn’t far behind, jumping up onto the bed before curling up near Asher’s feet.

Sleep eluded him, and Asher soon found himself with his phone in his hand, trying to pass the time. It was already strange being in a new place—trying to sleep there was even more difficult—so he resolved to check out some of the locals on Must Love Dogs.

At first glance, he had to admit that there were a few hotties. He was swiping right more than he expected, and he tried not to dwell on that for too long. With a tired sigh, Asher ran a hand through his ruffled dark hair before looking over a new profile that popped up.

Blaine. New in town. Bibliophile. Dog lover. Aspiring writer. Not interested in a fling, looking for something real. HMU if you want to hang out sometime.

It wasn’t the description that had him interested, however. It was the picture attached to it. The photo was in black and white, which Asher would normally roll his eyes at but, this time, he could forgive it. The guy in the picture was seriously ripped and half naked, showing off his glorious torso and a light smattering of hair across his pecs. His face was beautiful too. He had a rough-looking beard and mustache that Asher was dying to run his fingers through. He couldn’t tell what color the man’s eyes were due to the filter, but he knew they were magnetic, calling to him through the screen.

“Hello, handsome,” Asher couldn’t help mumbling aloud as he swiped right with a dramatic flick of his wrist. “See, Chowder? I told you. Everything’s going to be fiiiine!”

The seven-year-old dog let out a soft huff in response before closing his eyes and falling back into a light sleep.

With Blaine’s image at the forefront of his mind, Asher snuggled deeper into the bedsheets and closed his eyes. He finally drifted off to sleep and dreamed of dates with the handsome dog-loving stranger who had terrible taste in filters but, hopefully, better taste in men.

Chapter 2

Blaine

“Okay, okay, calm down. Everything is going to be fine.”

No matter what he said, Blaine couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of anxiety that was threatening to suffocate him. His chest was tight, and he wanted to rip his brand-new white dress shirt off his torso, but he resisted. Tearing his clean and crisp shirt wasn’t going to solve anything. Instead, Blaine closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and willed the tension to leave his body.

When he opened them again, he took in his appearance once more. He was dressed in a smart two-piece suit made from soft, cedar-colored cotton, which felt soothing and comfortable against his feverish skin. However, his forehead was marred by sweat, and his dark hair was sticking uncomfortably to his scalp. He drew a hand up to wipe it away and grimaced.

“God damn it, Blaine, get it together,” he mumbled to himself, shaking his head as he turned away from the mirror.

Blaine was too caught up in thinking about the day ahead, he misstepped and banged his left foot on the side of his dresser. With a groan, he lifted his leg and rubbed at his big toe, wincing as pain shot through his foot before he sunk down on the edge of his bed.

“Ouch, ouch!” he cried as he clenched his teeth.

From downstairs, a loud bark sounded, and Blaine listened as four heavy paws padded up the wooden staircase and into the bedroom. As soon as the golden-haired retriever passed through the doorway, she eyed her owner warily then let out a curious bark.

“Glee, I’m sorry. Did I scare you, girl?” Blaine asked, forgetting about his injury to lean in and pet his dog. “I’m sorry, Daddy’s okay. I just stubbed my toe.”

The loyal dog leaned her head into her owner’s palm and began licking at his wrist. Blaine grinned down at her and scratched her ears with delight.

“See, everything’s all right!” he declared as the pain began to ebb away. “Now, let’s get your harness on before we’re late for day care.”

Glee barked before following Blaine down the stairs to get ready. Once her pink harness was clipped snugly over her shoulders, Glee headed for the entryway and put her butt down on the mat, waiting for Blaine to hurry up and open the door. With one last deep breath, Blaine grabbed his briefcase and Glee’s leash before heading out the door. He climbed into the driver’s seat of his SUV after securing Glee to the safety harness in the back seat. When he looked into the mirror, Blaine saw his beloved dog lying sprawled out across the seats and looking at him in the reflection.

What would I do without her? he considered as he started up the engine and began reversing out of his drive.

The journey from his home to the university was short, and the day care center was perfectly situated between the two, meaning Blaine didn’t need to make any kind of detour on his way to his new job. However, he’d been in such a panic about making a good impression that he’d left way earlier than he needed to.

After dropping off Glee and making small talk with the kind owner of the day care center, Blaine took a calm, slow drive toward the college. He arrived before a lot of the other students and teachers, so a parking spot was easy to find. After he stepped out of his car, Blaine grabbed his briefcase and headed for the campus.

With a quick glance down at the classic analog watch on his wrist, Blaine realized he had just under an hour until his very first lecture. The thought alone was enough to make him gulp, and he felt the panic begin to rise inside him once more. In an effort to conceal his embarrassment, Blaine took a quick turn away from the courtyard in the center of the campus and headed toward the nearest building. Inside, he followed a sign for the bathroom and quickly shoved himself inside the stall.

Jesus Christ, Blaine. You’re 28 years old. Get it together, he scolded while trying to slow his rapid breathing.

Since he was so early, Blaine sat down on the toilet lid and retrieved his phone from his pants pocket. He had an awful habit of not clearing notifications unless he’d read and replied to the messages since he had a tendency to forget otherwise. It was then that he noticed the banner for the app, Must Love Dogs.

Click here to check out your latest matches! it told him. Blaine hovered his thumb over the screen for a moment or two. Was this really the best way to calm down? He wasn’t sure but, at the same time, he knew he’d get to see pictures of dogs, and that was going to be better than the latest Facebook update from an old high school buddy.

The first candidate was a bit too old for Blaine’s taste, and he swiped left pretty quickly on that one. The next, however . . .

It was a younger guy—early to mid twenties, if Blaine had to guess—with a gorgeous, chocolate-brown Chow Chow in the picture. His hair was slicked back and dark, but his eyes were a bold blue color that looked as though they could pierce right through you. He had a small silver ring hanging from his bottom lip, which Blaine’s eyes zeroed in on instantly. He couldn’t help but wonder what that metal piercing might feel like under his lips, how it would taste on his tongue.

Slow down, professor. You’re getting ahead of yourself, he thought, pulling the collar on his shirt a little looser. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

After looking through the rest of the pictures of the mystery man, Blaine finally read the profile. Asher, it said, and Blaine repeated the name in his head over and over. It sounded . . . right. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt drawn to the man. Something in his head just clicked as he looked down at the beautiful man with his sweet dog. He wanted to talk to him. No, he had to talk to him.

Despite his own fears and insecurities, Blaine swiped right and tapped on the message icon. Before he could overthink it, he typed out a quick, short greeting of Hey, we matched. Maybe we can get to know each other? Then Blaine locked his phone again, shoving it in his pocket. Once he’d sent the message, Blaine felt a swell of confidence rise in his chest, puffing it out proudly.

“Okay, enough hiding. You can do this,” he whispered to himself before running his fingers through his hair. He’d worked hard for years to get to this point, and he didn’t want to fail now.

If I can message a random guy on a dating app, I can tackle some rowdy young adults.

With renewed determination, Blaine clutched his briefcase tight in his hand and exited the stall. He stopped at the mirror to splash some cold water on his face before he stepped out into the bright and airy halls of Oregon's Pacific University.

Thanks to an extensive tour during the interview process, Blaine was familiar with the layout of the campus and made his way to the lecture hall with ease. When he arrived, he was still fifteen minutes early for the scheduled session, so he took the opportunity to get familiar with the surroundings.

At the front of the venue was a large projector, a small laptop, and a couple of whiteboards with accompanying pens. He picked up the black one and scribbled on the pristine surface with it to check the ink. It worked fine. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The laptop and projector sat on a solid oak desk with an accompanying chair. Blaine placed his briefcase down on the top and took a seat. He looked around the hall and noted that it was one of the smaller venues which he was thankful for. Speaking in public was not his strong suit, but he’d worked so hard for years on his doctorate, and he was excited to further research and develop the field of American Literature.

As he waited for the clock to strike nine, Blaine tapped his fingers against the desk, feeling his impatience and nerves thrumming through his entire body. He’d placed a copy of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms alongside his course materials in his briefcase, and he contemplated pulling it out to help pass the time. Before he could make the decision, however, a few students began trickling into the room.

Feeling their eyes on him, Blaine swallowed and stood. He smiled in their direction and nodded in greeting. The students smiled back before taking their seats, and Blaine began to wonder if his whole career had been a huge mistake.

I mean, I had to lead small groups and teach alongside my professors while I was studying, but this is something else entirely. He scratched at the back of his neck before deciding to boot up the laptop and get his presentation ready. It wasn’t the newest technology and took a few minutes to load and connect to the network. By the time everything was set up and ready, more students had joined the others, and soon the lecture hall was filling up.

As Blaine looked out over the sea of young faces, he blanched a little. He was certain that if anyone had been up close, they would have seen how pale his face had become. He checked his watch one last time and observed as the smaller hand ticked the seconds away, growing closer and closer to nine before his eyes.

It’s now or never, Jeffords, he told himself with a familiar gulp. He collected his papers and notes from his briefcase before stepping out in front of the desk.

“Good morning, class. I’ll be your professor this semester for American Literature 101. My name is Professor Blaine Jeffords. We’ll be starting with Nathaniel Hawthorne today. Can anybody tell me who Nathaniel Hawthorne was?”

Blaine looked out expectantly at the students in front of him, feeling worried when he spotted a few blank expressions. Then a hand shot up and another and another. Blaine’s heart began to bolster, and he smiled.

“Yes, you. In the back!”

And just like that, the class was in full swing, and as soon as Blaine got wrapped up in the material, he no longer thought about how scared he was. The people before him were no longer judges to be feared but peers, intellectuals who he could pass his wisdom on to.

After spending the majority of the first lecture examining the themes of The Scarlet Letter, Blaine drew the class to a close and called out for the class to read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for next time. As the students began to siphon out, Blaine collected his things and powered down the laptop. Just as he was about to leave, his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he frowned.

Who is messaging me this early in the morning? he thought. Most of his friends would be knee-deep in work by now or still in bed.

With a curious expression, he dug his phone out of his pocket, and his jaw dropped a little when he read the notification.

Asher has sent you a message! the banner read.

Unable to squash his excitement, Blaine tapped on it right away and let his eyes scan over the words.

Hey, I’m new in town, and I was hoping to find some friends or maybe something a little more than that. If you’re down, we could chat a little and maybe go for coffee sometime?

Blaine couldn’t hide his smile. Maybe, just maybe, Forest Grove would be the beginning of something wonderful for him. And he couldn’t help but suspect that Asher might just be a part of it.

Chapter 3

Asher

The first day of class passed in an exciting blur. Asher found the other architecture students friendly and smart, just like he’d imagined. Despite being a few years older than the rest of the freshmen, he found it easier to talk to them than he expected since they were all in the same boat. Just like Asher, they’d all moved away from home for the first time and were thrilled to start higher education.

As his first lecture came to a close, Asher felt his phone buzz again in his pocket, and he couldn’t quell the fire that surged through him at the thought of the man on the other end. He walked with quick steps out of the building and turned right to move out of the way of the rest of the students before checking the message.

Just as he’d suspected, it was a message from the hot guy, Blaine.

Sounds good. I’m free tonight if you want to meet up? There’s a dog park a friend told me about. We could take the dogs and see what happens?

It was fast, faster than Asher had expected, but he didn’t feel worried or turned off by it. No instead, Asher’s heart began pounding faster in his chest, and he thought it was a good idea, especially since he could take Chowder with him.

What time? he said in reply, feeling his fingers shake with nerves as he typed.

It didn’t take long for him to receive a response.

Six? I’ve linked the address below.

When Asher opened up the website, it showed him a map of the town he lived in and a pinpoint on the dog park. It was just a ten-minute walk from his apartment, and the knowledge that something like that was so close warmed his heart. Even if things don’t work out with this Blaine guy, I’ll have somewhere I can take Chowder to meet other dogs, he reasoned.

After getting a good look at the route he’d need to take later, Asher confirmed the time with Blaine and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

The rest of his day was spent at another lecture and then his first seminar. It went well and, despite Asher’s worries about his past and his insecurities about his intelligence, he kept up pretty well and seemed to fit in with his classmates.

All things considered, Asher was happy.

When he could finally head home from the campus, it was four in the afternoon, which meant he had plenty of time to fix himself something to eat and take a shower. As he emerged from his bathroom, steam billowed out behind him, and he lifted a towel to dry his damp hair.

“What do you think, Chowder? Is this guy gonna be The One?” he asked with a wry smile.

The chocolate-brown dog looked up at his owner for a moment before going back to chewing on his toy.

“Well, even if he’s not, at least it gets us out of the house,” Asher commented as he strutted toward the dresser and began to get an outfit together.

By the time he left the house, it was quarter to six, and Asher was wearing a light-blue Henley, which complimented his eyes along with a dark gray jacket and acid-washed jeans. He held Chowder’s lead firmly in his grip as he walked the short distance toward the park.

The surrounding neighborhood was quiet and tidy. The sidewalks were a pristine gray, with trees planted every few feet down along the side. Chowder enjoyed stopping at each one to sniff and take in all the new scents he found. Above them, the blue sky held a couple of fluffy white clouds, and the sun was bright and shining. It was the perfect day for a date in a park.

The wrought iron gates of the park were elegant and tall. Within the boundaries was a large and luscious green field where other dogs were already playing and frolicking. As soon as Chowder laid eyes on them, he began to whine and pushed his nose through the bars.

“All right, champ, easy,” Asher said with a chuckle. “We’ll be inside soon enough.”

They continued along to the entrance, and Asher pushed inside. He took a quick look around, but he didn’t see anybody that looked like Blaine or his golden retriever. Feeling a little nervous, Asher stood near the entrance and popped a piece of chewing gum in his mouth to ensure his breath was minty fresh.

To pass the time, Asher pulled out his phone and took a picture of the park and then a picture of Chowder’s happy, panting face. Just as he was gearing up to take a selfie with Chowder, the crunch of gravel from behind startled him. He stood.

“Asher?” a deep voice asked with a small tremble toward the end.

He turned to look behind him and—whoa. Blaine was even more gorgeous in person. He was wearing a brown suit and a white shirt which clung to his body, showing off his muscular stomach and chest. His eyes were as green as the grass beneath their feet, and his gentle, uneasy smile highlighted the pertness of his lips.

Damn, he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen in real life.

Asher was so stunned for a moment that he didn’t respond, and the worry in Blaine’s wide eyes was growing. He cleared his throat and smiled. “I’m sorry, yes, I’m Asher,” he replied, reaching behind himself to scratch awkwardly at his neck. “You must be Blaine.”

The other man nodded, scuffing the toe of his shoes against the ground.

“This is Chowder,” Asher introduced, calling his dog forward. “And you must be Glee!”

Asher crouched down and held out a hand to the excited golden retriever who approached him with a happy trot. Her big pink tongue was lolling out of the side of her mouth before she began licking at the proffered hand. Asher laughed and ruffled her hair.

“She’s beautiful,” he told Blaine as he rose to stand once more. “You’re very lucky.”

A faint pink blush appeared on the other man’s pale skin, and he looked down toward his feet. “Thanks. I definitely think so.”

The two of them stood for a moment in an awkward silence, and Asher realized Blaine was the shy type. He’d need to take the lead on the date, but he didn’t mind. He’d had plenty of experience talking to strangers from his stint working at the Eatery in Mountain Shadow.

“How about we head over to that bench over there and sit down? We can let the dogs off their leads and talk a little,” he suggested with a friendly smile.

Blaine nodded and gestured with his hand. “Lead the way.”

The two men crossed the lush green grass and took a seat next to one another on the wooden bench. As soon as he sat down, Asher released the clip on Chowder’s leash and let the dog bound off toward Glee. Once she was free, the two dogs began circling each other, wagging their tails, and sniffing with unbridled excitement. They sized each other up, taking in the details of their new companion in much the same way as Asher and Blaine were.

After watching to make sure Chowder was happy, Asher turned to Blaine to see he was doing the same thing. It pulled on his heartstrings and highlighted just how similar the two of them were in some aspects. But he wanted to know more. Just who was Blaine? What made him tick? Asher was going to find out.

“So, Blaine, how was your day?” Asher asked, starting easy and light.

Blaine sunk a little more into the seat, and Asher noticed his body seemed to relax. “It started off pretty terrible, to be honest,” he explained before turning his gaze away from Glee and toward Asher. “But I’m beginning to think it is ending pretty well.”

He smiled, and Asher felt dazzled by it. He was certain his heart was going to beat its way out of his chest. It wasn’t fair that someone was as handsome as Blaine and so modestly charming.

“I hope so,” Asher replied with a flirty smile. He turned his body on the bench to face Blaine and laid his arm across the back, not quite touching the other man but purposefully getting closer.

“What about you? How was your day?” Blaine asked in a quiet voice, looking up through his thick eyelashes at Asher as he spoke.

“Well, actually, it was better than I expected,” he told Blaine with a nod. “I didn’t mention it on my profile, but I’m new in town. So, I was a little worried about meeting people and settling in, but the area is beautiful and peaceful. It reminds me of my hometown in Colorado, but with a fresh start.”

Blaine was nodding as he spoke, listening intently. “Is that what you’re looking for?” Blaine probed, eying Asher with a careful gaze. “A fresh start?”

It was a difficult question, and Asher let out a sigh. “To be completely honest, yeah,” he answered. “I loved my hometown, but there’s a lot of difficult memories there. My family . . .” he trailed off and shook his head. “It’s not exactly first-date material.” He gave an awkward laugh. “Maybe we should talk about you instead.”

“No,” Blaine insisted with vehemence. “I . . . I know we’ve only just met, but I’d love to hear more about you. I want you to feel like you can talk to me.” Blaine reached out and placed his hand on Asher’s knee.

It was strange. Asher wasn’t used to talking about his feelings. He was good at keeping everything buried underneath the surface while smiling on the outside, but there was something about Blaine that made him feel safe enough to spill his secrets. To tell him his history and not feel embarrassed about it.

“Well, you asked for it,” he joked with a smirk before looking down at his hands. “It was just my mom and me growing up, and things were tough. We didn’t always have the money for nice things or vacations away, but we loved each other, and even though we had to move around a lot and fight for everything we had, I think we were happy.”

Asher looked over at Blaine once more to check his expression, but Blaine’s face showed no hint of shock or disgust. Instead, he was listening with a curious look and wide, sad eyes.

Asher continued. “It took me a long time to save up enough money to move away and start my own life, so now that I’m here, I’m just . . . I’m happy, but I’m scared that I’m gonna mess it up, you know?”

Blaine nodded and squeezed Asher’s knee. “I get it,” he replied with a gentle smile. “It must be hard to trust anything when you’ve spent your life having things taken away from you.”

“Exactly!” Asher agreed in a rush, growing happy that Blaine seemed to understand where he was coming from. “So, yeah, that’s me. What about you? Why did you move here?”

“A job,” Blaine answered with a shrug. “Nothing really exciting. I grew up on the other side of the state, so it wasn’t as big of a change for me. It’s still scary, though. I’m worried about messing up too.”

They shared a compassionate smile with one another before Asher inched a little closer.

“Well, at least we can agree our dogs are having a good time,” Asher remarked, nodding his head toward them. In the distance, Chowder was lying on the ground on his back while Glee towered over him and playfully nipped at his ears. The sight was heartwarming, and the two of them watched with joy.

After opening up more than he ever had before, Asher found himself surprisingly relaxed. Blaine was easy to be around and, the more time they spent together, the more Asher felt like he was gravitating toward him. Like a planet toward a beautiful and all-consuming sun. He hoped it wouldn’t result in him being burned, however.

An hour passed as the two talked about their likes and their dislikes. They got into a rather heated debate over a popular television show they’d both enjoyed but shared differing opinions about. Before long, it felt like they’d known each other for months rather than hours. As the night progressed, Asher found himself inching closer to Blaine, enjoying the warmth of another presence when the chill in the air became too much. Blaine didn't move away. He took that as a good sign.

The dogs had tired themselves out and were curled up together, sleeping in the grass as the sun began to set, and Asher checked the time.

“This has been amazing, but I should be getting back now,” he said with a reluctant smile. “I’ve got to be up early tomorrow, and Chowder is getting tired.”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah, me too. I haven’t given Glee her dinner yet either, and if I don’t get it to her soon, she’s going to give me the cold shoulder.”

Asher laughed. “Ooh, you don’t want that.”

Blaine nodded and pushed up from the bench. “I’d better go grab her then. Will you walk us out?” he asked, his expression hopeful but hesitant.

Asher grinned, feeling more and more attracted to Blaine with each passing second. “Of course I will.”

The pair approached their dogs and secured their leashes before heading toward the gates of the park. As they drew closer, Asher could feel his pulse racing faster than ever before. He had a decision to make. We agreed to meet, but I don’t know if he sees this as a proper date, he thought. I want to kiss him, but what if that’s too much? After all, we met online. I don’t want him to think I’m a pervert or something.

His eyes slid toward Blaine once more to see that the other man was also looking at him. Blaine was a couple of inches shorter than him, but his eyes were powerful with a spark that made Asher want to sink to his knees and worship him especially certain parts of him in particular.

Yeah, I’ve fallen for him already. Damn. The realization halted him for a moment and just as he was coming back around, a pair of soft, firm lips were pressing against his own.

Asher let out a high-pitched noise of surprise before closing his eyes and sinking into the kiss. He wound his free hand around Blaine’s waist and tugged him a little closer, indulging himself in the heat of the other man’s body.

All too soon, however, Blaine was pulling away and opening up the gate before them.

“I’ll see you around?” he called out over his shoulder as he slinked away into the low light of dusk.

Asher nodded though Blaine wasn’t watching him anymore. “Yeah, I’ll see you around,” he mumbled to himself before touching his lips and smiling at the memory of his first kiss with Blaine.

Chapter 4

Blaine

Kissing Asher set something primal loose inside Blaine’s chest. His body was tingling with excitement as he walked away from the park. He held Glee’s lead tighter than normal as he walked and couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

I can’t believe I did that. I kissed him! I’ve never kissed somebody first before.

His mind was whirring with unbridled thoughts, his palms were sweating, and his face was flushed from his arousal. No one had ever looked as handsome as Asher did on a first date. It was as if someone had plucked a man straight out of Blaine’s dreams and made him real. Asher was gorgeous and funny and wild and unpredictable. He made Blaine feel alive.

There was just one small worry . . .

In his pocket, Blaine’s phone began to buzz, and he screwed up his face in confusion before grabbing it and answering it.

“Hello?”

“Blaine, man! How’re you doing?” his friend, Lucas, said in an enthusiastic voice.

“Hey, Lucas, I’m fine. What about you?”

“You’re fine?” Luke asked, his tone suspicious. “You sound more than fine to me.”

“Lucas . . .” Blaine wasn’t exactly the gossiping type, and Lucas knew it. Still, as he spoke, he pondered the benefits of discussing his date with his friend. Maybe Lucas has some advice for me . . . especially about the worry I’m feeling.

“All right, all right,” Lucas said in a reproachful way. “We don’t have to talk about the big date if you don’t want to. Instead, I’ll spend my time telling you about something else that’s even more exciting. Like, how about I tell you all about the audit I did this morning on a small candlemaking store? It was so interesting. Did you know that candles can be made from a variety of different waxes or even a blend of—”

“Okay, okay,” Blaine interrupted with a laugh. “I’ll tell you. There’s no need to bore me to death.”

Lucas gave a hearty laugh. “Never fails to make you talk. I’m an expert in cracking that tough shell of yours.”

Blaine shook his head and continued to walk down the street with Glee. He took a deep breath and decided to start somewhere simple. “Well, the date went . . . great,” he confessed.

“Really? That’s amazing! Where did you go? What was he like?” Luke asked in rapid succession, his excitement plain.

“Um . . .” Blaine looked both ways before crossing the street, Glee hurrying along at his side. “We went to the dog park, actually. That dating app you introduced me to, Must Love Dogs? That’s how I met him.”

Lucas whooped loudly. “Who’s the bestest friend in the whole world? I am!” he cheered.

Blaine rolled his eyes and snickered. “Yeah, you are. You don’t need to convince me.”

“So, are you going to see him again?”

Blaine paused.

“Well . . .?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted in a quiet voice. His fingers twitched on the handle of Glee’s leash, and he frowned. The idea of not seeing Asher again filled him with grief, but at the same time, he couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that overcame him at the thought of getting involved with someone so young.

“Dude, what? Tell me everything,” Lucas encouraged.

Blaine could see his small house in the distance, so he slowed his walk and let Glee explore a nearby patch of grass. “It’s difficult, Lucas. I’m not a hundred percent on anything yet. I think I need some time to think.”

“Or you need a friend to give you an outside perspective on the situation,” he suggested. “I mean, you don’t have to, but if there’s some way I can help you, then let me know.”

Blaine considered his options for a few moments before caving. “All right, okay. It’s probably going to sound stupid once I say it out loud, but . . . I think he might be too young for me.”

There was silence on the other end of the call for a few seconds before Lucas finally spoke again. “How young is this dude?”

“Well . . . I’m not sure,” Blaine admitted.

“Hang on, hang on, he’s legal, right?” Lucas questioned, disbelief clear in his voice.

“Of course!” Blaine cried out. “He’s not a teenager or anything. It’s just . . .“ He huffed. “From his pictures online, I thought he might be like 25, but he looked much younger in person. Early twenties.”

Lucas laughed. “So, what? You’d prefer someone older? That doesn’t sound like a dealbreaker to me. Besides, you don’t even know for sure. He could be 45 for all you know!”

“I doubt that.”

“Still, my point stands. The age part seems like an excuse to me. If you like this guy, why walk away from him?”

Blaine was standing outside his house now, and Glee was looking up at the door, her eyes intent and wide. “Because I’m afraid he could be a student at the university,” he confessed, his hands flexing and twitching with anxiety. “He’s just moved here, and if he’s in his early twenties, he could be getting his postgrad at Pacific . . .”

“Okay, okay, hold your horses,” Lucas demanded. “This seems like something you should at least discuss with him before you make a load of assumptions. Because if you’re wrong, you’ll have thrown away something exciting for no damn reason.”

Blaine was nodding. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“And, most importantly, even if he is a student at the university, as long as he’s not one of yours, there’s no conflict of interest, right?”

Blaine hadn’t thought about it that way.

“You’ve only just qualified. You’re not even teaching any postgrads this year, are you?”

Blaine pursed his lips. “I don’t think so. At least, not during this semester, but the head of department said I could start after winter break if I do well . . .”

Lucas let out a triumphant noise. “Exactly. So the likelihood of him being your student is tiny and, even if by some miracle you ended up teaching him next semester, well, you can cross that bridge if you get to it!”

Blaine continued to nod. Lucas was making a lot of sense, but he still couldn’t shake the worry inside him. “It’s not just that, though, Lucas. He’s so . . . different from me. I mean, he’s much more extroverted than I am. He was making conversation so easy while I . . . well, you know me, I struggled. Plus, he has a lip ring! What if he has tattoos too? I’d never do anything that wild.”

“Well, maybe it’s time you walked on the wild side of life,” Lucas pointed out. “You’ve always done everything by the book. Your family is middle-class, upstanding members of society, and you’re following in their footsteps. You’ve never done drugs, and you barely drink alcohol. Don’t you think it’s about time you experimented a little? Or even just tried something a little different? Maybe this guy is just what you need.”

The more Lucas spoke, the more Blaine’s thoughts settled in his mind. He thought back to how exhilarated he’d felt around Asher, how he’d opened up a little more in front of him, how he’d felt comfortable touching his knee, and how he’d kissed him without overthinking it. Maybe, just maybe . . .

“Yeah. I think you’re right,” he agreed. “I’ll meet him again this weekend and iron everything out. If he does turn out to be a student, you’re right, it doesn’t even matter unless he’s one of my own. Which . . . yeah, it’s never going to happen. So, I’ll give it a shot, okay?”

“Yay! I’m so happy for you, Blaine. You deserve to be happy.”

Blaine pulled his keys from his pocket as a smile stretched across his face. “And it’s all because of you, my volunteer cheerleader,” he teased.

Lucas laughed. “If you expect me to pull off some gymnastics, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

“Yeah, but now you’ve put the image in my head, I’m gonna need to see it,” he joked.

“In your dreams!”

Blaine opened the door to his house and stepped inside. “All right, I need to go get Glee her dinner now. I’ll text you later?”

“You better. I miss you, man.”

“I miss you too.”

Once Blaine had hung up the phone, he closed the door behind him and set Glee free from her lead and harness. She immediately ran to get her metal bowl from the kitchen floor and carried it back to him in her mouth.

“Clever girl!” he praised as he took it from her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Daddy’ll get you your food, and then we can curl up on the sofa and watch some TV, okay?”

Glee continued looking up at him with a wordless but expectant expression. With one last sigh, Blaine put all of his worries about Asher out of his mind and walked into the kitchen. He fed Glee and then pulled out his phone again.

I had fun tonight. Can I see you again this weekend? There’s some things I want to straighten out if we’re going to get more serious. He typed the words into the message box and stared at them for a long time before pressing send. As soon as they’d been delivered, Blaine took a steadying breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.

See? Everything is going to be fine. There’s nothing at all to worry about.

Except that the very next day, Blaine would learn some instincts were meant to be followed.

Chapter 5

Asher

After his awesome date with Blaine, Asher was practically buzzing with pure happiness, and he whistled to himself the entire walk home. The air was cool, and the breeze was strong, but nothing could rid him of the heat he felt inside. When Blaine had leaned in and kissed him, Asher felt like his soul had left his body. He was flying high and excited to see his date again.

But when? he pondered.

Just as he reached his house, Asher felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and beamed when he saw it was a message from Blaine himself. There was a worrying undercurrent to the message, but Asher was more focused on the confession Blaine had made.

He had fun tonight. He wants to see me again.

It took all of his strength not to cheer and jump up and down on the spot. It seemed that life in Forest Grove was turning out extremely well for the young student.

Asher shot a quick message back, confirming they could meet again on the weekend. He added a love heart emoji before he could think too much about it and then hurried inside his apartment.

Despite Chowder heading straight to bed and falling asleep in an instant, Asher found himself unable to calm down or sleep at all. His head was full of Blaine and nothing else.

Every time the image of the other man came to his mind, Asher couldn’t stop a smile from blooming across his face. It was as if Blaine was the first ray of sunshine after a cold dark night, and Asher could feel hope expanding in his chest, filling him with life and love.

He’d never felt that way before, and it was all because of him.

So, with a fast-beating heart and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Asher decided to forgo sleep. Instead, the student curled up on his bed and flicked his laptop open. Before long, he was browsing through architecture blogs and looking for a nearby gym to sign up with.

At some point after midnight, Asher passed out on his laptop.

The next morning, Asher’s alarm wasn’t the thing that woke him. No, he woke up to the light streaming in through a gap in the blinds and Chowder licking at his forehead.

“G-get off me, you silly dog,” he groaned sleepily, his eyes still half-closed.

But Chowder didn’t relent. Instead, he moved onto Asher’s ear, drooling over him and making a fuss.

“Oh my God, get off,” Asher said with a chuckle before pushing up to sit and shoving the dog away from him. “What are you doing to me? What even is the time?”

He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand, and he groaned.

Oh no. Oh no. I’m late!

With a flurry of movement, Asher pushed himself up and out of the bed before scrambling around to collect the items he needed for the day. Once he’d gotten dressed, Asher packed his bag and his laptop then headed downstairs. After giving Chowder his breakfast, Asher kissed him on the head.

“Thanks for waking me up, you beautiful beast!” he enthused before rushing out of the door and heading toward the college.

By the time he arrived outside the lecture hall, Asher was already ten minutes late. He stopped outside and pressed his ear to the door, hoping to be able to hear inside and wait for a break in the professor’s speech, but it was futile. For a second, he contemplated skipping class altogether, so he didn’t risk interrupting and embarrassing himself in front of his peers but, ultimately, he decided against it.

I’m paying enough tuition. I need to sit in on my classes if I want to get my money’s worth, he told himself.

With a sigh of resignation, Asher gripped the metal handle and pushed the door open. As soon as he did, the lecture stopped, and all eyes turned to him.

“Sorry, sorry!” he muttered over his shoulder toward the professor before ducking his head down and scurrying to the nearest available seat.

But the professor didn’t acknowledge him at all. In fact, the professor hadn’t said a word since Asher arrived. It was strange.

After he sunk down in his seat and pulled his laptop from his bag, Asher finally glanced up at the front of the class, and shock washed over him like an ice-cold flurry of snow.

My professor . . . is Blaine?

Their eyes met, and as Asher’s agate gaze peered into Blaine’s own emerald stare, he knew the other man was flummoxed as well.

Except, now that Asher had processed the surprise, he couldn’t help the surge of heat that rose within him. Blaine was once again wearing a two-piece suit in slate gray with another crisp white shirt on underneath. His hair was tousled, and his jaw was tight, showing off his angular bone structure. He was undeniably hot, and seeing him standing powerful and commanding in front of the class, only made Asher more interested in him.

Asher squirmed in his seat, adjusting his jeans as his cock began to thicken. He knew Blaine was feeling it too because the professor, Professor Jeffords, he remembered from his class schedule, was still gaping at him. A few members of the class behind Asher began to murmur to one another, talking about their professor’s odd behavior.

Still, Blaine remained silent.

Asher looked around him and noticed his classmates were looking between the two, confused by what was going on. Yet, Blaine remained unmoving, like a toy doll with its batteries removed.

I have to help him, Asher resolved, but he wasn’t sure how.

Unable to do much else, the younger man raised his eyebrows at Blaine and gave him an encouraging expression. He nodded at Blaine and glanced to the side, eying his fellow students.

The professor seemed to come back to life. He cleared his throat and his cheeks colored with a rosy hue. He looked down at the note cards in his hand and shook his head.

“Right, right, where was I?” he muttered, picked up by the microphone attached to the lectern. “Okay, s-studying literature is a critical method of developing your analytical skills, which means it gives you a lot of transferable skills, no matter what major you . . .”

The rest of his words were lost on Asher as he got caught up in the way his professor moved. Blaine was pacing in front of the first row, his long and slender legs on display in his tight-fitting, tailored pants. Now that he was sitting back in his seat, Asher could admire the view and indulge himself in fantasies of what it would be like next time he and Blaine were alone.

His thoughts ran away with him as he imagined cute domestic scenarios where Blaine and he were cooking dinner together, taking their dogs on walks, or cuddling up to watch a movie. No matter how innocent the scenario, however, his mind wandered to the curve of Blaine’s ass, the bulge in his crotch, how soft his lips felt the night before . . .

Man, I need to get laid. Asher rubbed at his eyes and tried to concentrate on the here and now. He began to type notes from the lecture on his laptop, and he watched Blaine, trying his best to concentrate on the words coming out of his mouth instead of the beautiful lips they passed through.

It worked for some time, and Asher managed to pay attention for a short while as Blaine moved on from Twain to Hemmingway. The lecture continued and, around him, Asher’s peers took notes or played on their phones like everything was normal.

But Asher knew better. Something was wrong.

Despite continuing with his lecture, Asher could tell Blaine was shaken. Now that he was no longer fantasizing, Asher could see his relaxed and happy demeanor from the night before was gone, and he didn’t look much like a teacher at all. No, in fact, his expression looked like he’d rather do anything but stand in front of the class and discuss Hemmingway’s prose.

The disgruntled professor was a far cry from the sweet and assertive Blaine he’d met the day before. The thought caused Asher’s heart to sink.

Is it because of me? Did I mess up here? he wondered.

The next thirty minutes were spent in turmoil as Asher watched his professor closely, examining him to try and determine what was wrong. Toward the end of class, Asher had convinced himself that it was unrelated. Perhaps, Blaine had just had a bad night’s sleep, or maybe he was feeling off.

Not everything revolved around him, after all.

Still, when class ended, Asher decided to try and hang around to see if he could catch Blaine and smooth things over between them. As he was leaning against the wall, watching the rest of the students leave, he missed Blaine disappearing out of the emergency exit toward the back.

Damn it, where did he go? he asked himself.

After checking the staff webpage for information, Asher headed to Blaine’s office, which was situated in the humanities wing of the college. His office hours were listed as 10–12, directly after the lecture. That must have been why he’d taken off in a hurry.

As Asher approached the office door, his eyes roamed over the embossed words. “Professor B. Jeffords.” It made everything seem much more real to Asher. After all the time he’d spent saving for tuition and working toward his GED, was Asher really going to end up dating his professor?

Well, I’ve never been the traditional type, he conceded before lifting his fist and knocking on the wooden door.

Chapter 6

Blaine

I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. I knew it. I knew it deep down in my gut that something was wrong!

Inside his office, Blaine was pacing again across the woven rug. His hands were running through his hair, his steps shaky, and his eyes wide. He was losing it completely, and he wasn’t sure what his next steps should be.

Maybe I should just delete his number, delete that app, he considered, but the ideas only filled his heart with sorrow. There had to be a way forward, surely? He didn’t want to give up his job or Asher, but how could he manage both? Wouldn’t he just end up in trouble?

A knock at the door pulled him out of his panicked thoughts, and he turned to stare at it before checking his watch.

Shit. It was time for his office hours, which meant he had to be available to any students with problems. It was the first week of class, so he hadn’t thought anyone would show up but, apparently, he was wrong.

“Just a minute!” he called through the door before turning and looking at himself in the mirror on the wall.

His hair was in disarray from the manic movements of his fingers, so he smoothed it down. His eyes were wide and a little bloodshot, but that couldn’t be helped right now. Instead, he took a sip from his water bottle and then a deep breath before crossing the room and pulling the door open.

“Hello, how may I help y—”

Words failed him as Blaine realized it was Asher on the other side of the door. For a brief moment, he was tempted to slam the door closed again, but that would do no good. No, they needed to sort this thing out one way or another.

“Blaine! I-I mean, Professor Jeffords!” Asher greeted with a charming smile. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Despite the slip of his tongue, Asher’s request was a normal one for a student during office hours. Still, Blaine looked over the other man’s shoulders, checking to see if anyone was lurking to overhear them. Thankfully, no one seemed to be around, and Blaine could breathe a little easier.

“Yes, please, come in,” he said, his voice a little strained as he stepped aside to make room for Asher.

The younger man stepped into the cramped space of Blaine’s office and shuffled awkwardly to one side while Blaine closed the door behind him. Once it was shut, he pressed his back against it and closed his eyes.

A beat of silence passed before either one of them spoke.

“So, you’re a professor?” Asher said, raising an eyebrow at Blaine as he spoke.

The older man opened his eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” he answered in a quiet, resigned voice.

“Huh,” Asher remarked, pressing a finger to his chin. “You don’t look old enough to be a professor. I never would have thought that if I hadn’t seen it for myself. It does explain the suit, though.”

Blaine screwed up his face. Of all the things on his mind, clothing had not been one of them. “My suit?”

Asher nodded. “Last night. You wore a suit to a park. I figured you must have come straight from work, but I forgot to ask what you did. I probably should have.” He grinned and tilted his head to one side. Blaine couldn’t help but think how cute and boyish it was.

He shook his head and tossed the thought aside. He needed to keep a clear head. Now was not the time to let his emotions get the better of him. With a grim expression, Blaine crossed the room and sat down on his office chair.

“We can’t do this, Asher,” he said with a shake of his head.

Asher’s smile faltered for a second before he masked it again. “Which part?” he asked in a tentative voice.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders. “All of it?” he suggested as his eyes began to water.

“Oh. Right.”

The atmosphere between them became stiff and awkward. Asher crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the filing cabinet. He looked down at his shoes, thinking hard about something. Blaine wished he could read the other man’s mind, or better yet, express his own thoughts better.

“So, you’re dumping me because I’m a student?” he questioned, scuffing the toe of his boot on the floor. Asher’s expression was sad, lost, and vulnerable, all wrapped up into one, but his jaw was clenched tight as though he was fighting his emotions but losing the battle.

Something in Blaine’s heart ached for him.

“I don’t want to,” he confessed, though it was the wrong thing to say. “I don’t want to, but I have to, Asher.”

“Why?” he demanded, looking up at the other man. His eyes were glassy but fiery, burning with intensity.

“Because you’re a student, and you’re in one of my classes—one of my freshman classes, might I add. Which can’t make you any older than 19, and that means we have almost a decade between us and—”

“I’m 22,” Asher interrupted.

The declaration stumped Blaine for a moment. He was silent as he let the words sink in, and then he spoke again. “You’re 22?”

Asher nodded. “I mean, I’m sure you’ll agree I don’t look 19,” he added.

Blaine was confused. “Then why are you taking a freshman class?”

The younger man’s cheeks colored, and he looked to the floor. “Because I am a freshman.”

Realization dawned, and Blaine’s lips formed a small circular shape. “Oh, right. I’m sorry. I would have thought you were—”

“I know, I know.” Asher pursed his lips and tried to hide his face. “I didn’t finish high school. I dropped out to get a job to help my mom, and then I started taking night classes to get my GED and, well . . .” He shrugged. “Now I’m here. I know. I’m a bit of a late starter.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Blaine stated in a rush, desperate to reassure Asher. “Education is important. Your age isn’t.”

Asher grinned. “Then, if it isn’t important, why are you pushing me away?”

Blaine bit down on his bottom lip. Damn, this guy always knows just the right thing to say, he thought, as he rose from his chair and began pacing again. “Because the rules are different for a student and a professor,” he began. “If I was caught dating a student, I could get fired.”

“That seems a bit ridiculous,” Asher said with a snort. “It’s the 21st century, and we’re almost the same age.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “It’s not that simple, Asher. I’m in a position of power. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Why not?” Asher took a step forward and moved into Blaine’s space. “This feels right to me, no matter what anyone says. There are plenty of rules in the world that get broken all the time, but there’s only one me and one you. Why push me away when it’s clear to anybody with eyes that you’ve got the hots for me.”

A splutter left Blaine’s lips as Asher took another step, now face-to-face with him and leaving little room to retreat. “I . . . I d-don’t have the h-hots—”

“Liar,” Asher accused as he leaned in close, his face mere inches from Blaine’s. “I can see it written all over your face. Besides, you kissed me last night. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since then. You texted me saying you wanted to see me again. I know you like me. So, why are you holding back?”

The two locked eyes with one another, Asher’s gaze penetrating and unwavering while Blaine’s was lost and searching. He wanted Asher to be right. He desperately wanted a reason to give in and to let himself have this indulgence. He wanted Asher, and it had been so long since he had been held that he was willing to take a risk, no matter what his logic said.

“If anyone finds out—”

“They won’t,” Asher reassured. He lifted a hand to cup Blaine’s cheek. “It’s just you and me, Blaine. Don’t deny this and make us both miserable. Let yourself live a little.”

And Blaine didn’t require any further convincing.

He closed the gap between them in an instant and wrapped his arms around Asher’s neck, kissing him with a fervor he’d never felt before. His hands wandered to Asher’s hair, losing themselves in his thick dark locks before sliding down his shoulders, down his back, and under his T-shirt.

Asher’s skin was soft and warm. It felt perfect under his touch, and Blaine wanted more.

At least he wasn’t alone, it seemed. Asher’s tongue was delving inside Blaine’s mouth, spreading his warmth and caressing his tongue with soft, deliberate movements. It was driving the older man wild, and he could already feel his cock hardening in his slacks.

Oh God, I’m getting far too into this. I need to stop it. I need to stop it . . . now.

Just as Blaine was raising his hand to push at Asher’s chest, the other man was backing him up against his desk and lifting up his legs. Asher slotted himself between them, and Blaine could feel the other man’s dick pressing up against his own crotch. The friction was delicious, and Blaine couldn’t stop himself from moaning.

“Fuck, you’re irresistable,” Asher growled against Blaine’s lips, his voice breathy and husky.

When they kissed again, Asher was even more insistent than before. His lips were harsh, and his teeth were biting. As they made out, Asher pressed every inch of his body against Blaine’s. Blaine could feel the other man’s rock-hard muscles against him. Asher’s hands gripped Blaine’s hips tight, holding him close. Arousal swirled in Blaine’s head, leaving him aching and hard. Desperate for more, he rocked his hips against Asher’s, moaning in pleasure.

“Blaine, I just wanted to check how you were—”

The sound of the door opening made Blaine’s head shoot up. He pushed Asher away as quickly as he could, but it was too late. The head of his department was standing in the doorway with wide eyes, staring at the two in shock.

“Dr. Richards, I’m so sorry, I was just . . .”

Asher turned around and plastered a charming, wide smile on his face. “So you’re Dr. Richards! It’s nice to meet you. Blaine has already told me a lot about you,” he lied with ease, reaching out and shaking the other man’s hand.

Blaine’s boss looked confused, but he gave a weak smile in return. “It’s nice to meet you too. You must be Blaine’s . . .”

“Boyfriend, yeah,” Asher lied again, much to Blaine’s distaste. “I was working in the area, and I just wanted to stop by and check in on him during his first week of work.”

“How nice.”

“Anyway, I need to get going,” Asher said as he grabbed his bag from the floor. “I’ll see you later, honey.” He leaned in to press a kiss to Blaine’s cheek before sliding past Dr. Richards and leaving the two of them alone.

Blaine stood stock-still, completely stunned by what just happened.

Dr. Richards, however, seemed to be fooled. “That was nice of him, but I’d appreciate it if you kept your office hours open for students instead of personal visits, Blaine.”

The young professor nodded dumbly, his lips still parted in surprise. “Y-yes, of course,” he agreed.

“Great. Well, I’m just down the hall if you need anything. I don’t have another class until twelve. If you have any questions, come see me.”

“Yeah, sure.” Blaine continued to nod, feeling totally unsettled.

“Okay, take care, Blaine.”

With one last assessing glance, Dr. Richards left the room, closing the door behind him and Blaine collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Oh, God. That was close. What the hell am I going to do?

Chapter 7

Asher

The rest of Asher’s day at college passed without much drama. His classes were mostly introductory, and his peers were friendly if a little distracted by their new environment. Asher himself was distracted too, but it didn’t have anything to do with college. No, he was thinking about Blaine.

The heated kiss they’d shared in his office was still lingering in his memory. His body could still feel the press of Blaine’s hands, touching his skin and tugging on his hair. He spent the majority of his lecture on the history of western architecture thinking about how warm and soft Blaine’s lips were against his own.

This professor is going to be bad for my education.

Once his classes were done, Asher wanted to go and find Blaine again to finish what they started, but he couldn’t. He’d booked an induction at a local gym and headed straight there. It felt good to take care of one more task on his list after moving to a new town and the workout he indulged in afterward left him feeling lighter and refreshed.

As he walked home, Asher took in the beauty of the world around him. Since Blaine had come into his life, everything seemed much brighter, more vivid. Asher found himself living in the moment much more than ever before. He passed the dog park and watched a young rottweiler chasing a ball across the grass. Fall was underway; orange and brown leaves danced in the air around him, and Asher couldn’t stop smiling.

It was as if his world had been black and white his entire life up until he met Blaine, and now he was experiencing color for the first time.

Is this what it is like to be in love? he pondered with wonder sparkling in his eyes.

Asher couldn’t wait any longer. He retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed Blaine’s number. The anticipation was making his stomach flip as he waited for the other man to pick up, so he stopped and leaned against a nearby tree. The cool autumn breeze was soothing on his face and helped him to calm down.

“Asher . . .” a breathless voice answered.

“Blaine,” Asher greeted, smiling with joy. “It’s so good to hear your voice. How are you doing?”

There was a brief pause. “I’m fine.”

Those two short, sharp words were enough to wipe the grin from Asher’s face. Something was definitely wrong, and he had no idea what it was.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound fine,” he pried, reaching up to play with his lip ring as he grew more and more uncomfortable.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Blaine insisted. “But I think it would be best if you deleted this number.”

Time stood still. The world that had seemed so beautiful only moments ago was now crashing down around him. The birds chirping in the trees nearby were silenced, and his vision grew blurry. What is going on? I don’t understand . . .

“Why?” he asked, barely able to voice that singular word through the emotions stuck in his throat.

Blaine let out a sigh. “Does it really matter?” he replied. “I’m not interested in you anymore, Asher. I don’t want to see you again outside of class, and I don’t want to lose my job because of you. It’s not worth it.”

Asher felt like a knife had pierced his chest. I’m not worth it?

“Look, I’m sure you’re a great guy, Asher,” Blaine continued. “But I don’t want to do this anymore. So . . . it’s over.”

Everything felt like it was falling apart, and Asher knew he had to say something. He had to find his words. He had to at least try to get Blaine to see how great they could be together. But for the first time, words were failing him. Playful banter with a customer? Easy. Putting his emotions on display for someone he cared about? That was harder.

“Asher, are you still there?” Blaine asked. Asher didn’t think he imagined the hint of worry in his voice.

“I . . . I need to see you,” he blurted out, tears welling in his eyes.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Asher.”

“Please.” It was pitiful how desperate his voice sounded, but Asher wasn’t sure what else to do.

Blaine was silent on the other end for a few moments before he spoke again. “Not at the college. I’ll meet you somewhere else. Just for a quick chat, okay?” he agreed.

Asher was nodding despite knowing Blaine wouldn’t be able to see him. “Yeah, yes. There’s a coffee shop in town, Cafe Mattina.”

“Okay. Do you want to do this today or tomorrow?” Blaine asked.

“Today. I can be there in fifteen. I just need to check on Chowder.”

“Okay. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Then Blaine hung up, and Asher was left feeling torn. His professor was trying to break up with him, but at the same time, he’d agreed to see him. Did that mean Asher might be able to change his mind? Did they still have a chance? He didn’t know the answers, but he had hope, and that was enough.

With long strides, Asher continued his journey home. He fed Chowder and changed his clothes before grabbing his jacket and keys and heading back out again. His mind was racing through thought after thought, wondering what was going on with Blaine and how he was going to deal with it.

I can fix this. I’m sure I can.

When he arrived, Blaine was nowhere to be seen. Too nervous to wait patiently, Asher approached the counter and ordered himself a drink before finding an empty table away from the other patrons and sitting down there. He stirred some sugar into his drink and then waited with his leg bouncing from anxiety.

Asher was left waiting for so long that his drink went cold. He checked the time, and it had been twenty minutes since his arrival. Was Blaine actually going to turn up? Or had it been a lie? Just as he was getting worked up again, the bell on the shop door jingled, and his hot professor stepped through the entryway.

The sight of him alone took Asher’s breath away, and he couldn’t stop his heart from speeding up as he watched the intelligent and handsome man order his own drink. Once he received his cup of coffee, Blaine headed in Asher’s direction and took a seat opposite him. Despite how devastatingly beautiful he was, Blaine was frowning, and the expression twisted his face a little. Asher didn’t like it. He wished he could say something to make Blaine smile, but he had no idea what.

“You wanted to see me?” Blaine said in lieu of a greeting. His eyes were fixated on his cup, avoiding Asher’s gaze.

The younger man swallowed and tried to gather his thoughts. He needed to say the right thing, or Blaine was going to slip right through his fingers.

“I don’t think we should break up,” Asher began, his voice a little hesitant as he spoke.

The statement made Blaine look up, his green eyes meeting Asher’s blue. “I don’t know how many relationships you’ve been in, Asher, but that’s not really how this works. If one person wants to break up, you break up. Even if the other one isn’t happy about it.”

The reminder of his younger, inferior status had Asher’s hackles rising. It was true that before Blaine, most of Asher’s experience had been with one-night stands, but he knew Blaine was something more than that. He could feel it in his very core.

“I know that,” Asher replied in the end, cupping his mug in his hands. “But I wanted a chance to explain why.”

Blaine nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Go ahead then.”

Asher gulped. “There’s chemistry between us, Blaine. I know I’m not the only one who feels it. Hell, just a couple of hours ago, you were practically grinding against me in your office, and I—”

Blaine held up his hand. “What happened in my office was wrong, Asher,” he asserted. “That shouldn’t have happened and, if anyone found out about it, I would be fired, and I couldn’t even blame them.”

Asher’s face screwed up, and he could feel something twisting inside him, growing and fueling his frustration. “So, the only thing you care about is yourself in all of this?” he asked.

The question took Blaine by surprise, and the other man looked devastated for a moment before he regained his composure. “Y-yes,” he said, though Asher was almost certain it was a lie.

“I don’t believe you,” Asher argued, his voice raising a little. “I know that you care about me, Blaine. You and I talked for hours on our first date. You kissed me first! You wanted a second date. You made out with me in your office. There’s something real between us, Blaine. Something that could make us both really happy. Why are you fighting it so much? Why can’t you see it?”

Blaine was shaking his head. “I don’t feel it,” he said, his face expressionless. “I’m sorry, Asher. But I think you care more about me than I care about you.”

Those words were the last nail in the coffin for Asher. His breath grew rapid and shaky, his vision began to blur again, and his heart felt like it was going to fall out of his chest. That can’t be true, he argued with himself. It can’t be. He feels something for me. I know he does. He’s lying. He has to be!

But Blaine was already pushing up from his seat and standing.

“Unless you have anything else to say, I need to get home and prep for classes tomorrow,” he said in an even voice.

Asher couldn’t believe the person standing in front of him was the same man he’d met two days ago. He seemed like someone else entirely. He was closed off, defensive, unwilling to open up. If this was the true Blaine, then Asher began to feel like he had dodged a bullet.

“No. No, I don’t have anything else left to say,” he confirmed in a hollow voice, unable to meet Blaine’s eyes.

“Okay then. I’ll see you in class, Asher. Please remember to call me Professor Jeffords from now on.”

Asher nodded, and then Blaine was gone.

For a long time, Asher felt like he couldn’t move. His body was frozen to the spot, and he had no idea how much time had passed before he finally managed to push himself up and stand. It was dark outside, however. The sun had set, and Asher wanted nothing more than to return to his home, cuddle up with Chowder, and cry his heart out.

Asher had been head over heels for Blaine after just a few meetings, and now the flame of their love had been snuffed out before it had the chance to catch fire. He’d never poured his heart out before like he had with Blaine, and now Asher was determined never to do it again.

All he’d gotten for his trouble was pain and heartbreak. Why on Earth would he attempt it a second time?

No, Asher’s walls were firmly in place once more, and this time he was keeping them up for good.

Chapter 8

Blaine

That night, Blaine cried more than he ever had before.

He spent his evening curled up on his bed with his arms wrapped around Glee while he sobbed until the pillow beneath him was soaking wet. The dog had been rather concerned at first by the unusual behavior, but eventually, she seemed to realize that there was nothing she could do. Blaine, however, couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d done.

Was Asher right? Should I have given him a chance? he asked himself over and over again, but the logical side of him stayed strong. He couldn’t be seen dating a student. It would be career suicide. Besides, they’d already been caught once. If Asher hadn’t come up with such a quick lie, they would have been done for. Blaine was lucky the head of department didn’t recognize Asher from around the college, but that could soon change.

It’s better this way, he told himself over and over, as the night drew on and became morning. He eventually passed out around midmorning with tearstained cheeks and dreamed of Asher’s heartbroken face.

After a few days had passed, the ache in Blaine’s heart began to ease a little. It helped that Asher was only present in his Tuesday morning lecture, so he didn’t have to worry about seeing him for the rest of the week. On the weekend, Blaine didn’t leave the house. Forest Grove was a small town, and the risk of bumping into Asher was high. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to refrain from begging him for forgiveness and then jumping him in public.

Needless to say, Blaine was in trouble.

By Monday, Blaine had become a nervous wreck again. He’d never been one for public speaking, but his classes were bordering on torture now. He stuttered and stammered over his words, knocked over his coffee, and forgot to set up slides for his presentations. All in all, he was glad for the day to be over when he finally got home.

Except, he knew he’d be seeing Asher in the morning. That was enough to keep him up worrying for most of the night.

When Tuesday morning arrived, Blaine went about his routine like a zombie with purple bags under his eyes and terribly frequent yawns. He didn’t know how he was going to get through his regular classes, let alone the one where Asher was present.

Great. Just . . . great.

So Blaine did what he did best: he panicked about the situation and got to the lecture hall insanely early.

Everything was set up and ready twenty minutes before the start of class, leaving Blaine no choice but to bury his head in a book to pass the time. As the clock ticked nearer to nine, students began arriving, and Blaine could feel his nerves getting the best of him. It didn’t help that he was sleep-deprived, making everything seem ten times worse. On top of that, he had drunk two cups of coffee which only served to make him even more jittery.

In short, he was a mess.

Once most of the class had arrived, Blaine placed his book down and glanced up. He looked around the room, his eyes scanning down the rows of seats until he saw him. Asher. He was a few rows back and slouched in his seat with the hood of his jacket pulled up over his hair, but it was unmistakably him.

Their eyes met, and something inside Blaine gripped him tight, tugging him toward the student he was enamored with. The pull was almost unbearable. Blaine wanted nothing more than to run to Asher, to talk to him, to explain that he’d made a mistake. But that would be wrong—for both of them. Asher deserved to be with someone his own age, who understood him, who wouldn’t jeopardize his education.

After staring for a little too long, Blaine averted his eyes and cleared his throat. He needed to start the class, and he needed to distract himself from Asher. If he looked at him once more, he didn’t think he would have the strength to resist him anymore.

Blaine was truly and completely lost.

* * *

Time heals all wounds, someone once told Blaine, but he didn’t believe it was true. As the weeks passed, Asher’s absence only became more prominent, more harsh in his mind. Every time he took Glee for a walk, Blaine imagined how different things would be if he hadn’t broken things off with Asher. Would he be walking Glee alongside Asher? Perhaps even alongside Chowder too?

Weekends were the hardest. Blaine tried to occupy himself with research papers, books, and puzzles, but nothing helped. He thought about what Asher would be doing and where he might be going. Was he dating again? Was he already seeing someone else?

The thought alone was enough to make Blaine queasy. It wasn’t unlikely either. After all, Asher was a good-looking man. He could have his pick of any of the guys in Forest Grove if he wanted.

He hated the thought of Asher being with someone else, but Blaine had no right to feel that way.

At the beginning of the fourth week of term, Blaine felt like he was beginning to truly lose it. As he walked around campus, moving from class to class, he kept getting glimpses out of the corner of his eye of dark hair, blue eyes, and a lip ring. He turned to chase the image believing it to be Asher, only to find it was another student entirely.

It was as if he was being haunted by Asher’s presence, and he had no one to blame but himself.

When Tuesday came, Blaine almost felt excited to see Asher again. After being teased the day before with fleeting glances of Asher lookalikes, he was craving the other man more than ever. It was strange since Blaine had never experienced that feeling before. He couldn’t quite understand it.

As the lecture started up, Blaine found his eyes wandering to the door, waiting and watching to see Asher enter. But he never came. Student after student entered, some of them very familiar to Blaine now, but there was no sign of the man who plagued Blaine’s thoughts.

Why isn’t he here? he thought. What’s happened?

Unable to do much else, Blaine conducted the class as usual, hoping Asher might turn up late like he did on that fateful day weeks ago. But there was no sign of him. It was as if he had simply vanished.

As the lecture concluded, Blaine caught sight of a short, blond-haired man Asher often sat next to in class. He remembered the person distinctly. Blaine had felt troubled and jealous by his presence at first but soon remembered it wasn’t his place to feel that way. Not anymore.

He racked his brain for the student’s name. James? Jay? Jason?

“Jason!” he called out, a little abruptly.

The guy in question turned his head toward his professor, and his eyes widened. “Me?” he said, pointing to his chest in disbelief.

Blaine nodded and beckoned him over with his hand. “Could you come here for a moment?”

With reluctant steps, the freshman closed the distance between them and then stood a little awkwardly in front of the lectern. He was chewing down on his lip in a nervous gesture Blaine recognized because he’d done it himself a million times. It made him feel compassion for the other man.

“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble,” he said in a soothing tone, giving Jason a comforting smile.

“Oh, thank God,” Jason responded with a sigh of relief. “I really need this class credit.”

Blaine’s expression softened. “I’m sure you’re doing fine. I just wanted to ask you about another student. I’ve seen you sit with him a few times. His name is Asher DuPre?” The professor did his best to keep his tone neutral and not give away his true feelings, but it was difficult. Anytime he even mentioned Asher’s name, he felt like his heart was being pierced by a dagger.

That’s my own fault, though, Blaine recognized. I’m the one who pushed him away. I don’t deserve to feel happy.

“Oh, Asher?” Jason repeated with a surprised expression. “What about him?”

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his desk, trying his best to look like a concerned teacher and not a desperate lover. “I noticed he was absent today, and I was hoping you might be able to tell me why,” he explained, fishing for information. “Is he sick or . . .?”

Jason’s face screwed up a little, and his eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Oh, I thought you’d have known already. He dropped the class.”

Blaine’s jaw dropped open in shock. “H-he . . . he dropped the class?” he parroted.

Jason nodded. “Yeah. Don’t they tell the professors when someone drops their class?”

Blaine thought about it. He would have gotten an email about it, and his registration list would have been updated. He must have missed it in all of his moping.

“Y-yeah, I must have forgotten. Does that mean he’s not here at all today?” he asked. Blaine winced a little, knowing how strange his questions must sound, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know where Asher was, even though he knew he had no right to ask.

“No, he said he was going to spend this morning at some park with his dog,” Jason explained, narrowing his eyes a little at his teacher.

“Ahh, right. Okay. Sorry to bother you, Jason. Thank you.”

With an easy smile, Jason replied, “Anytime, professor!”

The blond student practically ran out of the lecture hall, either happy to be dismissed or hurrying because he needed to get to another class. Blaine couldn’t be sure. But that didn’t matter now. What mattered was Asher and how Blaine felt about him.

Could Blaine go on with his life knowing he wouldn’t see Asher again? He couldn’t even count on seeing him for an hour every Tuesday now. The thought made his heart ache, and Blaine knew he’d messed everything up.

I need to make things right, he decided. I need to tell Asher how I feel, sooner rather than later.

With renewed determination, Blaine quickly emailed his boss, telling him he was sick and needed to go home for the rest of the day. He packed up his things and rushed out the door.

Now, let’s hope he’s still at the dog park.

Chapter 9

Asher

The one thing that had kept Asher going throughout all of his hardships was Chowder. He’d been lucky enough to find the unusual Chow Chow abandoned one day after school. They’d spent weeks placing adverts and looking for his owners, but it seemed like the young puppy had been abandoned by a breeder because he was sickly. That hadn’t deterred Asher, however. He had a part-time job and spent all his money on Chowder’s treatments, and soon, with love and care, Chowder had become healthy as a horse.

As long as I have him and he has me, we can make it through anything, Asher told himself as he watched the brown-haired fluffball running around the park after his ball. Once he grabbed it, Chowder ran back to Asher and deposited the fuzzy green ball at his feet.

Unable to resist indulging his pooch, Asher picked up the ball for the hundredth time and threw it once more. Chowder bounded off after it while his owner smiled and watched.

Now that Asher had switched classes, he didn’t have an excuse to see Blaine anymore, and it killed him. He knew it was for the best in order to protect his own heart and Blaine’s career, but he still wasn’t over his professor, and he wasn’t sure he ever would be. Knowing that he’d probably just mope about it if he stayed at home, Asher deliberately chose to visit the dog park during Blaine’s lecture. At least that way, Chowder could help him take his mind off of it. Plus, the fresh air was nice and relaxing.

It was easier to forget how he’d been dumped out here. Not easy, but easier.

It helped that Asher stayed far away from the bench he and Blaine had spent their first date sitting on. Even glancing at it before had caused his chest to grow tight and water to fill his eyes. Now, he just avoided that part of the park entirely.

I’ll get over it eventually. I just need to keep distracting myself.

Chowder returned with the ball time and time again, content with their game of fetch, and Asher let all thoughts of Blaine leave his mind. It was actually starting to work when the unthinkable happened.

In the distance, Asher could see the sunlight reflecting off of the shiny metal of the gate. It traveled across his vision, blinding him momentarily, as the gate creaked open. After blinking and regaining his sight, Asher noticed a handsome man in a dark suit walking into the park.

No. It’s not him. It couldn’t be, Asher thought, squinting through the harsh rays of sunlight to try and get a better view.

I’m just seeing things. Yeah. Blaine should be teaching right now at the college. There’s no way he’d be here. Look, that man doesn’t even have a dog with him.

Despite Asher’s best efforts to convince himself, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the man across the park. He was looking around now as if he was searching for someone. He checked his watch in a way that reminded Asher of Blaine before looking up and, eventually, heading straight toward Asher.

The student gulped and tried to look away, but it was difficult. Eventually, Chowder nudged his knee with his nose, and Asher looked down.

“Sorry, boy, I was distracted. Here you go,” he said as he handed Chowder a biscuit treat and then picked up his ball again. Winding back his arm, Asher threw it hard and fast, not concentrating on where it was heading. Once the ball left his grip, however, Asher realized his mistake.

He’d sent it straight at the mysterious Blaine look-alike.

“Oh, shit! Sorry!” Asher called out, standing up and rushing toward him.

It was too late, however. The stranger must have been distracted, and the ball hit him in the center of his forehead, causing the guy to wince and bend over as he rubbed at his face. Asher closed the distance between them. He noted even more similarities as he got closer until the identity was undeniable.

Even without seeing his face, Asher knew this was Blaine.

When he finally reached him, Chowder was standing nearby, holding his ball between his teeth triumphantly. Asher rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was throwing,” he remarked in a quiet voice, feeling his nerves getting the better of him.

Blaine raised his head, revealing a reddish mark on his forehead. He was wincing still but, otherwise, he seemed uninjured. “It’s okay,” he replied. “Actually, all things considered, I think I really deserve it.”

Asher was taken aback and frowned as confusion settled over him. “What do you mean?” he asked, pronouncing each word in a careful and deliberate way as his mind began to race.

Blaine took a deep breath and then stepped forward, closing the distance between them a little more. This close, Asher could see the flecks of gold in his emerald-green eyes. He watched as their colors danced in the bright sunlight and noticed how the other man’s skin looked flawless—white and soft. His pink lips stood out in contrast, and Asher looked down at them, mesmerized by Blaine’s perfect cupid’s bow.

It was unfair for a man to be so attractive and for Asher to be unable to do anything about it.

“I was wrong,” Blaine began, his eyes wide and sincere as they met Asher’s. “I pushed you away, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I’ve been miserable without you, Asher. We haven’t even known each other for very long and, yet, you changed everything. It feels like . . . it feels like without you, a piece of my heart is missing and, no matter what I do, I can’t replace it.”

The confession stunned Asher, and he stood still for a long moment taking in the words Blaine had just said. At first, he couldn’t believe it. It had to be some kind of trick. Why was Blaine saying this now? And yet, when Asher looked deep into his eyes, he could see the truth laid bare within them.

Blaine was miserable.

He even looked a bit of a mess up close. His eyes were red-ringed and darkened by circles of purple. His hair was a little wild and messy. His shirt wasn’t buttoned correctly. It was plain to Asher that their breakup had affected him just as much as it had affected Asher.

Still, he couldn’t be convinced that easily.

“Why now?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s been weeks! Weeks I’ve been sitting in your classes, and you’ve said nothing.”

Blaine averted his gaze, looking down at his shoes and the grass between their feet. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I wanted to give up on you—on us—but the longer we spent apart, the more I regretted it, and then . . . well, when you didn’t show up for class today, I was worried. I knew I had no right, but I wanted to know what was going on—if anything had happened to you. So I spoke to Jason and—”

“And that’s how you found me,” Asher finished with a nod.

Blaine gave him a hopeful smile. “Yes. You have every right to tell me to leave and never come back, to tell me you don’t feel the same or that you want to move on, but…” He trailed off and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and his thumb. “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try. If I didn’t take a shot at being with you again.”

The wind howled around them as the two men stayed quiet for a moment. Leaves were kicked up by the gusts around them, and Chowder began batting his ball back and forth between his paws. Asher hadn’t expected any of this, and his brain was struggling to catch up with what it all meant, but ultimately he knew one thing: he wasn’t done with Blaine Jeffords yet.

“Okay,” he said with a simple nod of his head.

“Okay?” Blaine repeated, looking hopeful and a little scared.

“Okay. Let’s do this,” Asher elaborated, a smile stretching across his face as he spoke.

Blaine began to beam and rushed forward to wrap his arms around Asher in a tight hug. The younger man held him close, breathing in the smoky, warm scent of his cologne while he wished that they would never be parted again.

“I just have one question,” Asher stated as they drew back to look each other in the eye.

“Anything,” Blaine responded breathily.

“What about your job?” he asked, biting down on his bottom lip. “You were so worried about someone finding out, about losing your career and destroying your reputation. What changed?”

Blaine mulled it over for a moment before he spoke. “In all honesty, it was seeing you dropping out of my class,” he confessed. “When I realized that I had no idea when I’d see you again and that we had nothing left to connect us anymore . . . I realized that you’re more important to me than my job. I realized that no matter how hard and scary it was, I was willing to do anything to keep us together.”

Asher grinned wide and toothy before leaning in and planting a hard kiss on Blaine’s lips.

“But it should be fine now anyway, right?” Asher asked as he pulled away. “I’m not technically your student anymore.”

Blaine nodded. “That is technically true. I mean, some of the higher-ups might still be unhappy with me about it, and I can’t guarantee they won’t look down on me or get me fired for it, but I’m willing to risk it if it means I get to be with you.”

With happiness filling his chest, Asher leaned in and kissed Blaine again. This time, however, he couldn’t stop. He wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck and opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. The other man moaned into it, holding Asher tight and letting his tongue explore as much as he wanted. Asher felt ravenous, desperate for the man in front of him. After being parted for so long, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from devouring Blaine right then and there.

Except, there was someone else he needed to worry about too.

Just as Asher was smoothing his hands down the back of Blaine’s suit jacket, he felt a tug on his jeans and looked down. Chowder was getting bored and impatient. He’d opened his mouth and chomped down on his owner’s pants, pulling at them to try and get what he wanted.

Asher couldn’t help it. He laughed.

When Blaine realized what was happening, too, he laughed as well.

“Um, I think I need to take my dog home. He’s been out for a while now, and he probably wants his midday nap,” Asher explained.

Blaine nodded. “I get it. Don’t worry.”

“Besides, I’m sure you need to head back to the college, right? Don’t you have your office hours now?”

Blaine’s cheeks colored, and he looked sheepish for a moment. “Actually, I kind of told my boss that I was sick . . .”

Asher’s jaw dropped. “Blaine, you’re playing hooky!”

The professor at least had the decency to look ashamed. “I was desperate, and I wanted to see you!” he argued with a small smile. “Besides, I’m sure they’ll cope without me.”

Asher was grinning uncontrollably. “You rebel. I never thought you had this kind of side to you, Blaine,” he teased.

“I can be a rebel! I can be wild!” Blaine stated.

Asher nodded. “Oh, I’m sure you can be downright naughty, professor.” He leaned in, closing the space between them as he spoke and winked.

If Blaine’s reaction was anything to go by, Asher had hit all the right buttons. The older man was pulling at his collar and adjusting the crotch of his pants. “I think I need to get out of here,” he said.

“You can come back to my place,” Asher offered with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes! Yes,” Blaine replied in a rush.

It was easy for Asher to feel reassured after that. With a smile, he reattached Chowder’s leash and headed for the park entrance. Blaine followed next to him, and the two kept shooting each other electrifying glances full of erotic promise and tension-filled gazes. Asher had woken up that morning feeling lost at sea, but now he’d never felt more grounded.

He wanted this. He wanted Blaine. And he was going to make sure Blaine never had a reason to doubt their relationship again.

The walk home was quiet and pleasant. Chowder was tired from his play session, so he ambled alongside the couple as they walked. Blaine and Asher shared small talk about the scents of the flowers they passed, the hot temperature, and their exciting plans back at the apartment. When they finally arrived, however, the atmosphere changed completely.

Once inside the spartan apartment, Chowder slipped past Asher and Blaine, then jumped onto the sofa and curled up to go to sleep. Asher turned his attention from his dog to the beautiful man in front of him and then stepped into his personal space.

“So now that you’ve stopped trying to push me away, does that mean we can pick up where we left off?” he asked, his hands pressing against Blaine’s chest.

Blaine went wide-eyed as a doe, and his breathing hitched at Asher’s touch. “W-what do you mean?” he questioned, gulping.

“Well, after our make-out session in your office, I was left with some serious . . . frustration,” he explained in a deep husky voice. “I was hoping now that you’ve seen the error of your ways, we could make up for some of that lost time.”

Blaine swallowed. “Y-yeah, let’s do that,” he agreed in an eager voice, and Asher chuckled in response.

The two came together in a clash of tongues and teeth. Their bodies pressed together until there was no space left between them, and Asher could feel the slight but firm muscles of Blaine’s chest through his shirt. The reminder of how good Blaine’s body felt left Asher desperate to see it. His hands wandered down Blaine’s chest, unbuttoning his shirt until he could push it and his jacket off of the other man’s shoulders.

When the clothing fell to the floor, Asher let out a gasp of delight. Blaine’s body was even better than he expected. He couldn’t resist letting his fingers trace every divot and curve of his defined muscles.

“For a book nerd, you’re surprisingly ripped,” he commented with appreciation.

Blaine was practically trembling under the other man’s scrutiny, his pupils wide and his cock hard in his pants. “I-I work out,” he said with heated cheeks.

Asher nodded. “You look incredible,” he said before closing the distance between them once again and pressing his lips against Blaine’s.

As they made out, Asher let his hands wander along the smooth expanse of newly revealed skin. He could feel the way Blaine’s muscles rippled as they moved and how his skin heated with every kiss they shared.

Asher was going to lose it soon, and he needed to calm down, but he couldn’t. Instead, he gripped Blaine’s hips firmly in his hands and began to walk him backward toward his bedroom. When they reached it, he pressed his lover’s back up against the door, fumbling around him to twist the door handle before pushing him inside and straight toward the bed.

Blaine’s legs hit the mattress and buckled. He fell back onto the smooth, cool sheets and let out a gasp of surprise. Asher couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He dropped to his knees on the floor and spread Blaine’s legs apart, settling between his knees. He reached up and began to unbutton the other man’s slacks.

“Asher, what are you . . .”

Before Blaine could finish his sentence, Asher had tugged his pants down and was mouthing at the hard line of his dick through his underwear. The sounds that left Blaine’s mouth were music to his ears, and Asher was excited to see how he’d react once he got his mouth on his actual skin.

With a devilish smile, Asher reached up and slipped his fingers under the waistband of Blaine’s briefs. He slid them down his legs in a slow, deliberate motion, watching Blaine’s eyes go wide as he was put on display. Asher pulled all of his remaining clothes down his legs until his lover was laid bare for him and then licked his lips.

Instead of paying attention to Blaine’s cock right away, however, Asher decided to tease him. He ran his hands up and down the inside of the other man’s thighs, tickling at the light smattering of hair he found there. Then he reached over into his nightstand and pulled out some lube and a condom. He threw the condom down on the sheets and uncapped the bottle of lube in his hands. Once he’d spurted a little of the gel onto his fingers, Asher leaned in and began kissing up Blaine’s thighs.

“Oh God, you’re going to kill me, Asher,” he moaned as the younger man drew nearer and nearer to his sensitive member.

“At least you’ll die happy,” Asher quipped, smiling against Blaine’s legs while his fingers crept toward his hole.

Just as Asher pressed his forefinger inside Blaine’s entrance, he captured his cock in his mouth and began to suck it with enthusiasm. All Blaine could do was lie back and squirm as Asher’s talented tongue took him apart. Meanwhile, his fingers probed inside Blaine’s ass, stroking and stretching the tight muscle there until it relaxed.

After Asher managed to slip a third finger inside, he decided Blaine was ready and focused his efforts on making the other man come. He hooked his fingers inside Blaine, searching for his sweet spot while he took the other’s man’s cock deeper in his mouth, pressing the head back against his throat.

“Oh, fuck! Right there!” Blaine cried out as Asher found his prostate and began to rub it in earnest.

The little nerve bundle inside of him caused Blaine to moan louder than before. He was crying out in unadulterated pleasure as Asher pushed him higher and higher. He felt the very moment when Blaine’s climax hit him. It was like a tight string had snapped. Asher pulled off to watch as Blaine arched his back while his cock spurted come all over his pale belly and chest.

Gorgeous, he remarked with fascination while his own dick ached harder in his pants.

Blaine was spread out on the bed now, panting and sweating as he came down from his high. Asher took the opportunity to press loving kisses against the other man’s legs, his hands, and his face. When Blaine started to come around again, Asher reached for the condom.

“Do you wanna . . .?”

Blaine nodded his head with vehemence, his eyes a little wild.

So Asher stripped his clothes off, enjoying the way Blaine watched him with appreciation. When he was finally naked, Asher slipped the condom on and climbed between his lover’s legs. He was practically shaking with desperation as he lined himself up. His hair was sticking to his scalp, and his jaw was clenched tight as he entered Blaine’s tight hot ass.

“Holy shit,” Asher cursed as he buried himself inside Blaine with a long slow thrust of his hips.

The other man was still loose-limbed and relaxed from his orgasm, letting Asher take the lead, and he was happy to be in charge. Asher lifted Blaine’s legs up and hooked his knees onto his shoulders before pistoning his hips in fast hard motions.

It didn’t take long for Asher’s cock to find the same spot inside Blaine he’d found with his fingers, and when he did, Asher aimed for it with every thrust. Before long, the two of them were tangled in a sweaty mess of limbs, their faces twisted in pleasure, as they indulged themselves in each other’s bodies.

When he was getting close, Asher put his weight on his elbows and found Blaine’s hand, intertwining their fingers while he leaned down and kissed his lips.

“I love you, Blaine,” he whispered between harsh panting breaths.

Blaine’s eyes widened, and he squeezed their hands together. “I love you too, Asher.”

With just a few more thrusts and Blaine’s fist wrapped around his own cock, the two of them came together and collapsed into a satisfied heap on the bed. Asher could feel himself drifting off as he cuddled close to the older man, but the smile never left his face, not even for one second.

Chapter 10

Blaine

After a much-needed rest, Blaine awoke from his nap, feeling happy but a little achy. He stretched his arms out over his head and let out a groan. When he glanced to his left, he caught sight of a messy mass of dark hair and the soft skin of Asher’s long, lean back. He couldn’t help but smile as Asher laid face down, still snoozing in the pillow.

I could get used to this, he thought and then realized that he actually had the chance to.

With a huge grin, Blaine climbed out of the bed, careful not to disturb Asher, and tiptoed around the room. He made his way out of the door and ventured through the living room. As he passed the couch, a furry brown head came up over the back of it, and a wagging tail began thumping against the pillows.

Blaine chuckled. “Hi, Chowder,” he said as he reached out to pet the dog’s head. “It’s good to see you too, boy.”

After giving him a good scratch behind the ears, Blaine headed for the door he assumed was the bathroom. When he opened it up, he was pleased to see a shower inside and reached into the cubicle to switch the power on. As the water began to run and pound against the tiled floor, Blaine turned to the mirror above the sink and checked out his appearance.

The bags under his eyes had faded a little, and a happy glow was being emitted from his skin, either from the amazing sex or the amount he’d sweated—Blaine wasn’t sure. His lips were a little chapped from all the kissing, and his body was still flushed red. But none of that really mattered anyway. Blaine was happy, more happy than he’d felt in years.

With a contented sigh, he stepped into the shower and let the hot stream of water wash over him, soothing his aching muscles and allowing him the chance to clean up. As he rinsed his body, Blaine looked through Asher’s products and picked up a sweet-smelling shower gel. It reminded him of Asher, and he smiled before drizzling it on his chest and rubbing it in.

It was a strange feeling to be making himself at home in Asher’s apartment, but Blaine felt a comfortable sense of rightness settle over his chest. As he finished cleaning up, he turned off the shower and stepped out onto the soft bathroom mat. After retrieving a towel from the storage closet, Blaine exited the bathroom and padded with damp feet across the living room floor once again.

“Did you have a nice shower?”

The sound made Blaine stagger a little, and he turned to see Asher standing in the bedroom doorway, leaning against the doorframe. He was dressed in a simple pair of briefs, and the sight made Blaine heat up. His long, lean figure was on display, and the hard lines of his slight muscles were enough to make Blaine’s cock begin to fill again. He shook his head and tried to calm down.

There’s enough time for that later.

“I did, thank you,” Blaine answered in the end, pulling his towel tighter around his hips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you in case you needed sleep.”

Asher smiled and began to strut toward him. “It’s okay, I was just a little worried when I woke up, and you weren’t here,” he admitted.

Blaine felt his heart tug toward the man in front of him, and he couldn’t stop himself from stepping closer. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I’ll make it up to you. Have you got eggs? I make killer pancakes.”

Asher laughed quietly and then reached out to pull Blaine into a hug. “It’s okay. I don’t need anything else. I just want you.”

The simple confession had Blaine blushing from head to toe, and he gingerly wrapped his arms around the other man. “M-me too,” he said with a stutter, burying his head into Asher’s shoulder out of embarrassment.

“You’re too damn cute, Blaine,” Asher commented with a chuckle before hugging the other man closer. “I have to ask, though. What does this all mean for us?”

Blaine’s head shot up, and he looked over Asher’s face. “What do you mean?” he asked, trying to understand.

“Well . . .” Asher looked away for a second as if he were trying to find the right words to say. “Would you say we’re . . . boyfriends?” As he spoke, Asher’s voice faltered a little, giving away his nervousness.

Blaine smiled brightly and nodded. “Yeah, of course, I would. If you’re okay with that?”

Asher grinned and nodded back. “That sounds perfect.”

“Great. I need to put some clothes on now, if you don’t mind . . .” Blaine stepped around his lover only to be stopped by Asher’s grip on his upper arm.

“But I like you like this,” he teased, letting his eyes wander over Blaine’s body.

“I think you’ve seen enough of me for one day,” Blaine joked, rolling his eyes in a playful way.

“Never,” Asher argued, leaning in close enough for Blaine to feel his breath tickling against his own skin.

“At the very least, we should get some food and something to drink,” the older man tried to argue, attempting to be the more reasonable one of the two.

Asher pursed his lips, seeming to think about it for a while. “Okay, but only because I refuse to let any boyfriend of mine go hungry on my watch,” he replied with a mischievous smile. “After that, we do things my way. And my way requires excessive nudity.”

Blaine rolled his eyes again. “You’re terrible,” he told him, but it was halfhearted, and Blaine’s pulse was already racing at the naughty implication.

“You love it,” Asher pointed out.

It dawned on Blaine in that moment that he did. He really did.

So the two new lovers settled into the kitchen together after Blaine threw on some borrowed clothes. To his surprise, Blaine noticed that Asher knew his way around the kitchen, and his cupboards were well stocked with basic ingredients and a variety of herbs. He glanced over at the other man as he produced a pan and began cooking up some bacon on the stovetop.

“There’s a lot I don’t know about you,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Asher’s body froze, and Blaine began to panic.

“I mean, not in a bad way. I just . . .” He trailed off and looked around with wide eyes searching for help out of his blunder, but the only thing he spotted was Chowder, who stared at him with a grumpy expression. Not helpful.

Asher turned to him with a soft expression and reached out. “Hey, it’s okay,” he reassured him, taking Blaine’s hand in his own. “You’re right. There’s a lot of stuff we don’t know about each other still, but that’s the fun part, right? We get to find out. I can’t wait.”

Feeling Asher’s strong warm hand squeeze his own made Blaine’s heart soar. He was certain in that moment that he’d made the right decision. Asher was kind and smart and sexy as hell. Plus, he never judged Blaine’s nervous or shy personality. Instead, Asher went out of his way to reassure him, and Blaine was grateful for that.

“I meant it, you know, what I said while we were . . .” Blaine trailed off and let the insinuation lie there in the air between them.

“What? That you love me?” Asher clarified with an arched eyebrow.

Blaine swallowed and nodded. “Yeah.”

Asher smirked and flipped the bacon over. “I know. I love you too. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

For the first time in his life, Blaine actually believed that phrase to be true. After all their struggling and hardships in their pasts and within their relationship, he thought things were going to turn out just fine. Together, Blaine was certain they could face anything. The life they were going to have together would be wonderful, he was sure.

And it was. It really was.

Epilogue

Asher

College turned out to be a mixed bag for Asher. After spending most of his teenage years saving to move away and get a better education, he’d forgotten just how much hard work and stress were involved in actually obtaining a degree.

Despite dating a professor, Asher’s journey wasn’t any easier. After all, Blaine worked in a completely different department and had no clue about the subject Asher chose to major in. While Blaine was well-read and a skilled analyst, he knew nothing about the mathematics of building or modern design.

It meant that the four years Asher spent studying at Pacific University were tough and he spent many late nights hunched over a desk at the library while Blaine brought him cups of coffee on the downtime. But it had all been worth it for this day.

Outside the main building of the college, Asher stood wearing his graduation gown and cap, holding his diploma in one hand and Chowder’s lead in the other. The smile on his face was huge and unwavering.

“I’m so proud of you,” Blaine told him as he leaned in to press a kiss to Asher’s cheek.

“Careful, what if somebody sees?” Asher chastised with a shake of his head.

“What are they going to do? You’re an alumnus now.” Blaine waggled his eyebrows with confidence, and Asher laughed. Over their years together, Blaine had come out of his shell more and more to Asher’s delight. And the two of them had relaxed a lot with their relationship around campus.

“Let me get a picture of the two of you together!” a shrill voice demanded.

Asher sighed but played along. “Mom, how many pictures are you going to take?” he asked as Blaine came to his side and posed next to him.

“As many as I want! My son only graduates from college once, don’t you know!” she replied with ease, lifting her digital camera above her blue eyes and snapping picture after picture.

“Mom, are you finished yet? I need to—”

“Just give me one more! This time hold up your diploma a little higher!”

Blaine was snickering next to him, and Asher elbowed him gently in the ribs before doing as his mother requested.

“There! Perfect! Oh, Asher, you look so beautiful!” she gushed, lifting a hand to her face as tears filled her eyes.

“Okay, okay, I think that’s enough. Come here.” Asher stepped forward and pulled his mom into a hug. “If you start crying, you’ll set me off,” he warned as he rubbed his hand in circles on her back and rested his head on her dark hair.

“I can’t help it! You’re so grown-up now, Asher!” She began to cry a little more, and Asher glanced over at Blaine with an apologetic expression.

“Here, Mrs. DuPre,” Blaine began, pulling tissues out of his breast pocket. “I had a feeling we’d be needing these.”

She took the offered tissues and dabbed at her eyes. “Oh, Blaine. You’re so wonderful. Asher, you landed such a catch! You must have a guardian angel or something watching over you.”

Asher grinned and caught Blaine’s gaze. The two shared a moment before Asher spoke again. “Nah, it’s nothing like that. We just got lucky, I think.”

His mother shook her head. “No, I have a feeling about these things, you know! It’s like you and Blaine were meant for each other!”

Asher’s heart swelled. “Well, I’m not going to argue with you there.”

Bonus Epilogue

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Message from CJ

Hello Reader,

Thank you so much for reading Student Teacher in the Mountains! 

This book was such a joy to write.

I hope you had as much fun reading it, as I did writing it.

I had so much fun, that I just could not stop!

In fact, I wrote a SECOND epilogue. 

GRAB THE SECOND EPILOGUE HERE!

Asher and Blaine were so great to be around.

I am off to work on my next story.

Hugs and Happy Reading!

CJ

Sneak Peek

I don’t know about you, but all of this hot MM action has worked up my appetite.

When I get a craving like this there is only one thing that will satisfy.

Hot fresh mouth-watering baked goods.

And even HOTTER men.

If you are ready to surrender to your hunger, then it’s time for Opposites Attract at the Bakery.

Here is just a little fresh out of the oven sample of all the delectable indulgent yummy goodness.

Chapter 1

Jack

Jack glanced at his smartwatch as he walked into the cramped office. It read 5:47am. He was used to being the first one in, but this was no regular office, and the other staff members were already there. In fact, they’d been working for almost an hour and a half. He rubbed a hand over his face in a futile effort to feel more awake and tried to keep flour from dusting the legs of his suit pants as he walked down the narrow hallways and past the kitchen to his closet-sized office. As soon as the profit margins are over fifteen percent and the franchises are open, I can get the hell out of here, he thought. 

Jack dropped his black leather briefcase on the desk—a weathered relic from when his father had occupied the office—and went to the kitchen in search of coffee.

“Morning. Happy Monday!” said Parker when he saw Jack enter. Unsurprisingly, his brother looked like he belonged at a concert instead of in a semiprofessional environment. His dark hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, exposing the shaved sides, and he was wearing one of his atrocious metal band T-shirts. 

In contrast to his appearance, his brother was far too chipper for the early hour, and Jack grumbled, “Mhmp” in response. 

“You’ve been back for three months, and you’re still not used to the mornings?” asked Parker with mocking laughter in his voice. “There’s fresh coffee in the machine.”

Jack eyed the ancient industrial percolator and carafe dubiously, ignoring the question. “I should be getting the last quote for a proper espresso machine today. I’ll choose the best and make the purchase. I can probably get one shipped before the end of the week. Can’t wait to start making real coffee here.”

“All right, city boy. People have been enjoying the coffee here for almost two decades, and that’s not the point of this place anyway, but whatever you say.”

“Gourmet coffee is a huge market. If we sell it, people will buy it . . . I can’t believe you’ve managed to keep this place afloat while missing out on that kind of profit. You stick to the baking and the customers. I’ll deal with the business,” said Jack as he poured the brew into a chipped mug. 

“Mhm.” Parker turned back to the stainless steel table and started kneading raisin bread dough. Without looking at Jack, he said, “The mail came yesterday.” With a hand covered in flour and cinnamon, he gestured to a pile of envelopes on the shelf that held the mixing bowls. 

Jack shook his head in dismay. This place is a disaster. He finished stirring cream into his coffee, picked up the mail, and went back to the dingy office, shutting the door tight behind him.

Parker didn’t understand. Their father’s bakery had been operating the same way since it opened when they were barely older than toddlers. Times had changed, so the way things were done had to change too if they wanted to keep up with the competition. Waterside was a small town, but two new cafés had opened in the last few years, and—in Jack’s opinion—they offered more modern and superior products. Who eats bread anymore? he mused.  

Sipping at the brewed coffee he wished was a double Americano, Jack sorted through the mail. Most of the envelopes contained invoices and bills, but one piqued his interest. It was from the local bank, which meant it had to be the response to his loan application. Jack had done well enough working for a large consulting firm in the city. But the kind of capital he would need to franchise the bakery was beyond his means. He had some money in the bank, but the bakery was in dire straits, and it would take more than a few grand and a superficial face-lift to save the business.  

He opened the letter with a fingernail and read its contents, a rare smile spreading across his face. The application had been approved for the next stage. A loan officer would have to come to inspect the facility and review the books before it could go through, but at least Jack hadn’t been denied outright. Most self-respecting banks wouldn’t go anywhere near a business like Burton Bread Basket—the place was barely breaking even. I have to talk to Parker about changing that name . . . something less kitschy.   

Before settling in to work for the day, Jack strode back out to the kitchen. Parker was sliding loaves of bread into the oven, and Gage was icing carrot cakes. “Where’s Caleb?” he asked. 

“Out front opening the till,” replied Parker.

“Okay. Well, tell him we’re having an all-hands meeting at the end of the day,” Jack demanded as he refilled his coffee.

“What? Why?” asked Parker.

“Because the bank is considering the loan for the expansion, and they’re sending someone to see this place.”

“Why do they need to see it? Can’t you just send them the financial stuff?”

Jack let an exasperated sigh escape his lips. “No. They need to see it because that’s how things are done, okay? Tell Caleb about the meeting. We’ll do it at 3:30 after the closing duties are done.”

Parker scoffed. “Fine. But are you actually going to help with those this time? Or are you going to sit around and make phone calls like that’s more important?”

With clenched fists, Jack said, “What I’m doing is important. This place is barely scraping by. I’m trying to make sure Dad’s legacy doesn’t go down the drain. The day-to-day stuff won’t matter if we go under.”

Parker’s upper lip lifted in a snarl. “You’re trying to uphold Dad’s legacy? Oh, that’s rich. What the hell do you think I’ve been doing since high school? You can’t walk back in here after all these years and pretend you actually care about this place. All you care about is making money. You wouldn’t be here if Dad hadn’t been forced to retire.”     

His brother was right—at least partly. When Jack left, he hadn’t planned to come back to Waterside. There was nothing for him in such a small town, no way to grow. But he couldn’t admit that to Parker. Jack loved his brother, but they were so different, and he couldn’t remember the last time they hadn’t butted heads over every little thing. 

Jack regarded his brother as he took a few calming breaths. Parker looked a lot like him, but his thick brown hair was shaggier, and his muscles, though prominent, were lean and long where Jack’s were round and sculpted. His face was slightly more rounded, but that could be because he was younger. They had the same square jaw, the same blue eyes, and the same proud nose that scrunched in a particular way when they were thinking hard. 

When he was sure he wouldn’t yell, Jack said, “I know what you think of me, but it doesn’t matter. Dad asked me to help you keep this place going, and that’s what I’m trying to do. We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to work together. As soon as I’m sure the Basket won’t go bankrupt the second I leave, I’m gone.”

“Well, that moment can’t come soon enough.”

Jack glared at Parker, then spared a glance for Gage, who had quietly continued working through the brothers’ tense exchange. “I’ll see you at the meeting.” He stalked back to the office, this time slamming the door shut.

Intending to go over the inventory lists, Jack pulled his laptop out of his briefcase. There was a computer in the office, but it was a dinosaur, and it took almost five minutes for anything to load. He’d wanted to have it hauled out and sent to be recycled, but there were still records saved to the hard drive that needed to be uploaded to the cloud. Jack had tried to help his father do exactly that when he’d been visiting over Christmas a few years ago, but the old man hated technology. His dad had become frustrated with the computer lesson and convinced Jack to help him make croissants instead. 

An uncomfortable tugging feeling built in his chest as Jack remembered that day. It was the first time he’d noticed his father’s hands failing. He fixed his eyes on the laptop screen, hoping work would distract him from the unpleasant memory.

It was no good.   

The list of items in front of him blurred, and it took Jack a moment to realize it was because his eyes had filled with tears. He quickly brushed them away with the sleeve of his pinstripe shirt. I shouldn’t have come back.  

* * *

The end of the day came quickly, and once the last customers had cleared out of the small seating area out front, Jack gathered everyone for the meeting. Caleb was sweeping the floor, but he was attentively listening to Jack as he explained what the loan officer would be looking for when they showed up in two days. Gage was leaning against the counter, staring into the distance—he was probably paying attention but, with him, it was always hard to tell. Parker was sitting in the small café area with his arms crossed and a sour expression. 

“. . . so, we have to make sure this place is spotless. And I expect that everything, and I mean everything down to the last chocolate chip, is accounted for in the inventory list.”

Parker sighed pointedly.

“Is that a problem?” Jack asked him. 

“Not at all,” said Parker, the words dripping with sarcasm.

“I’m going to hire a cleaning service to come in and scour this place tomorrow evening—”

Caleb piped up, “But we mop every day . . . and wipe down all the machines and—”

Jack put a hand up to silence him. “I know, and that’s good, but this place needs to be spotless. With the financial records as they are . . . we need every advantage we can get.”

“I don’t see why we need to expand in the first place,” complained Parker.

Jack looked to the ceiling and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’ve been over this a dozen times. Opening two other locations in the city and the surrounding suburbs will open us up to a new demographic. We need to get the weekenders and vacationers in here. And who knows, maybe we could be the next Starbucks.”

Parker muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said that’s not what Dad wanted! The Basket was never meant to be some big fancy chain. Why can’t you get that into your big stupid head?”

“Oh, very mature,” growled Jack.

“Maturity has nothing to do with it!” retorted Parker. “It’s about running this place like Dad did because he can’t do it anymore. If you’d stuck around or bothered to call him once in a while, you might know that…you might know what he wants. He’s not gone, Jack, not yet. If you would go talk to him, you’d know the last thing he wants is for his business to be turned into some mindless corporate place.” As Parker had begun talking, his voice was full of anger. But by the time he was finished, he sounded almost pleading. 

Jack didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t wanted to admit to himself that he was avoiding his father. It was so hard to see the man who had once been so strong and vital reduced to a frail shadow of himself. It was different for Parker. He had been with their father all along, so the deterioration in his health wasn’t as shocking. But Jack had left when his father was a large, boisterous man with an unfailing iron grip. The man he had come home to was almost a stranger—gaunt and no longer the master of his own body. 

Jack wasn’t staying away from his father because he didn’t love him but because it broke his heart to see him like that. Part of the reason he’d agreed to come back was so he could make sure the family could afford top-tier medical treatment for him. He wanted to explain this to his brother, but there were other people around; it wasn’t professional. Defeated, he said, “Look, I’m doing the best I can. It’s . . . just trust me. Or if you can’t trust me, trust that I know what I’m doing. I know what this place means to Dad. I want it to succeed.” Jack held his brother’s eyes, willing him to understand.

After a long moment of silence, Parker said, “Okay.”

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The Mountain Man and His Billionaire

The Doctor and His Billionaire

His Billionaire Complete Bundle (Books 1-3) with a Special Exclusive Bonus

His Wedding Love

Touching MM Romance Filled with Awesome Men, Spicy Moments, and Some Unbelievable Chemistry

His Wedding Quarterback

His Wedding Carpenter

His Wedding Professor

His Wedding Love Complete Bundle (Books 1-3) with a Special Exclusive Bonus

In Key West

Heartwarming MM Romance Where the Chemistry Is Strong, the Men Are Stronger, and the Steam Is Just Right

Snowed in in Key West

Friends to Lovers in Key West

Falling for the Boss in Key West

Dad’s Best Friend in Key West

In Key West Complete Bundle (Books 1-4) with a Special Exclusive Bonus

In the Mountains

Quick-Read Low-Angst MM Romance in a Small Mountain Town Where the Air Is Thin, the Tension Is Thick and the Men Are Thrilling

Opposites Attract in the Mountains

Brother’s Best Friend in the Mountains

In the Mountains Complete Bundle (Books 1-3) with a Special Exclusive Bonus

At the Bakery

Mouth-watering bite-size MM Romance with piping hot men that are sure to make you dough rise and leave you satisfied

Opposites Attract at the Bakery