Free Seducing Professor Coyle by Darien Cox Page A

drink with the kid. Clearly he’d let his paranoia get the best of him. It wasn’t like him to be so out of control, and he didn’t trust himself to be around Benjamin tonight, especially after that embarrassing display.
    He found his friend Karen by the pond. Karen was young, and this was her first year teaching college. As much as she tried to look older during the school day, wearing her curly red hair tucked up in a librarian bun, her efforts failed somewhat. Her freckled face and turned up nose made it hard to differentiate her from a student at the moment, in a floral sundress, shoulder length curls blowing free. “Hey Karen,” he said. “How’s your folklore class going?”
    Karen rolled her eyes. “My students are bored to tears. One of them actually fell asleep in class last week. I’m starting to think I suck as a teacher.”
    Peter laughed and patted her shoulder. “It gets easier.”
    “Oh yeah? How?”
    “You stop caring if they fall asleep,” he said.
    Karen laughed, her fair cheeks flushing. “Awesome, Peter. You’re quite the mentor.”
    As they continued to make small talk, Peter stole glances at the patio, where Tammy and Benjamin were in engaged in conversation with a group of party guests. The tan slacks hugged Benjamin’s ass alluringly, shirt hanging just right on his broad shoulders. He looked coiffed and mature in the outfit, and there was no denying that Benjamin was a beautiful young man. A man, not a boy . Though he couldn’t think of him as such, wouldn’t. He was a boy, a student.
    He forced himself to look away, but soon found his gaze drifting back. Ben carried himself well, a confident posture, and again Peter thought that he seemed older than his twenty-three years, more seasoned. The handsome young man conversed with ease as students and faculty alike approached him, moths to his magnetic flame. When Ben glanced down and caught his eye, Peter looked quickly away, focusing on the pond as he pretended to listen to Karen.
    “You seem distracted, Peter,” she said. “You okay?”
    “I’m sorry. Just really tired. I think I might sneak out.” It had gotten dark, and the path leading down through the woods to the main campus would provide him with a candid escape.
    “I understand. I’ll cover for you. See you tomorrow.”
    He smiled at her. “Thanks, Karen. See you tomorrow.”
    Without risking another glance toward the patio, he moved gingerly down to the woods and made his way along the path. New moonlight lit the pine needles that crunched beneath his shoes, and soon the sounds of the party grew distant, replaced by the hoot of an owl and symphonic chorus of crickets.
    He’d nearly completed the mile trek down to the campus parking lot when he heard footfalls approaching behind him, huffing breath as someone trampled up the path.
    Peter stopped, staring stunned at the tall figure. “Benjamin?”
    The boy faced him, catching his breath, his golden skin flushed from running. “Dr. Coyle,” he said. “What the hell? I haven’t been following you. Why did you say that?”
    Peter continued walking, Benjamin keeping time by his side. “I apologize,” he said. “I mistook you for someone else.”
    “No, you didn’t. You knew exactly who I was.”
    Peter stopped, and Benjamin did the same, those green eyes glimmering in the darkness. “I’m sorry, Ben,” he said. “I would have apologized right away had we not been interrupted. Go on back to the party.”
    He started walking again, and again, Benjamin followed. “We need to talk, Dr. Coyle.”
    Peter glanced at him. “I sent you an email. I’ve adjusted your grade. We can discuss it tomorrow if you’re not satisfied.”
    “I’m not talking about my grade. I got your email, and I’m fine with that. We need to talk about something else.”
    Peter continued on, spying the clearing at the end of the path, desperate to get to his car and be off, away from this awkwardness, away from Benjamin LeClair.