Page 10 of Forbidden Lessons

Each beat of Julian’s heart thudded in his chest, a reminder of his bold admission. Did I misread the signals?Perhaps Alex hadn’t experienced the same intensity of feelings. Or any intensity of feelings.

Glancing to the right then the left, he said, “Nobody’s stopping you, Professor.”

Julian leaned in, searching for reassurance. A sign this wasn’t a mistake.

Alex reached to stroke Julian’s hair. After a moment, his fingers brushed past his temple, trailing over his shoulder and down his arm until they’d linked their fingers. “Come with me.”

He led Julian off the dance floor and back to the row of metal lockers. The music from the bar became a distant rumble, augmenting Julian’s quickened breaths.

“We’re alone.” Alex’s voice had a husky quality.

Julian nodded toward the restrooms. The muffled sounds of running water and hand dryers offered a reminder of being interrupted. Or the dangers of being discovered. “Not completely alone.”

Alex smirked, focusing Julian’s gaze back on him. “How about we continue our tutoring session?”

Without hesitation, Julian pushed Alex against the lockers, capturing his lips in a deep, hungry kiss. The sensation surged through him like a live wire, setting his nerves alight. The salty taste of Alex’s lips, the teasing brush of his tongue, and the gentle pull of his fingers at the nape of his neck. Every drop of longing, desire, and fear cascaded into this one intoxicatingly forbidden moment.

Chapter 5

Julian’shesitantveneerhadvanished, replaced with something primal. Whatever it was, Alex wanted to lose himself in it, to revel in every sensation: the scrape of Julian’s stubble against his chin, the taste of gin, and the rasp of his breath.

Alex wrapped his hand around Julian’s neck to deepen their kiss. Glasses askew, he rose onto his tiptoes and pushed against the locker, wanting to climb his professor like a cell tower. The low growl in Julian’s chest suggested he was open to the idea.

Still, Alex’s surging desire was tempered by the nagging thoughts of his future. The warmth of Julian’s body contrasted with the cold reality of Alex’s upcoming graduation and job at Promethean Technologies. A job four time zones away from the locker he was currently pinned against. A job he’d kept from Julian when asked about his future.

“Alex? Alex?” Julian’s voice, a grounding murmur, yanked him from the whirling in his head.

“Are you all right?” His breath warmed Alex’s flushed skin. “Doyouwant me to stop?”

Alex analyzed Julian’s dogged expression, grappling with the intimate present with his Silicon Valley future. Finally, his voice barely audible above the music, he said, “There’s something I should tell you…”

The door of the supply closet swung open, flooding the cramped space with light and interrupting Alex’s confession. Julian hopped back at the sight of the flirty bartender, who stood in the doorway holding a tower of paper towel rolls.

“Uh, hello again,” Julian said, straightening his belt buckle. “Lovely weather we’re having.”

The awkwardness of the situation caused Alex to laugh, throwing back his head, which banged against the locker, making him laugh even harder.

Julian joined in with the laughter. “We were, um, assessing the locker security.”

The bartender ogled Alex, licking his lips. “Looks like I missed out on a good time.”

Alex’s face burned, but Julian nuzzled into the crook of his neck as if claiming his territory.

“Have a good night.” The bartender closed the closet’s door before walking away. “And get a room.”

Alex tilted his neck to give his professor better access. “This… is a bad idea… right?”

Julian stretched the cotton of Alex’s T-shirt to expose his shoulder. “The worst.” His feathery kisses wandered lower. “Shall we stop?”

“Do you want to stop?” He shut his eyes, willing Julian to be the responsible adult. They’d already crossed a dangerous line. There was too much at stake. His future. Julian’s career.

Julian responded by discovering the sensitive spot under Alex’s earlobe and flicking his tongue across it. Releasing a low grown, Alex turned toward the supply closet as if something were calling him from the other side of the door.

Fuck the future.The future can wait.

Alex kissed his lover’s forehead, gently pushing him away. Squaring his shoulders, he grabbed his hand and led him to the closet.

“Are you serious?” Julian asked.

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