All Bets Are Off

by Marguerite Labbe

  “Ah.” A strained silence fell across the line for a moment, and Eli wished he had come up with something better to say than inane chat about the snow. “Are you coming down for Thanksgiving?”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t like traveling mid-semester; things get crazy enough as it is.” Eli hated this awkwardness between them, only he didn’t know how to fix it after all this time. And he sure as hell didn’t want to call a truce if it would be shoved back in his face.

  “Your mom will be disappointed.”

  Yeah, but what about you, Dad? Eli held his tongue, though. He had to stop feeling like the little boy wishing for things he was never going to get. Was it too much to ask that his dad be disappointed too? “Maybe Christmas, we’ll see how the rest of the semester goes.”

  “Is that man still giving you a hard time? You know he might go a little easier on you if you cut your hair.”

  “Cutting my hair won’t help, Dad. Britton is one of those men where once he’s decided to dislike someone, he dislikes them for life. I could win a Nobel Prize and he’d still think I wasn’t worthy.”

  “Don’t let him get to you. Then he wins.”

  Eli chuckled softly and relaxed a bit. He really should call more often, they were never going to get beyond this if they didn’t both make an effort. “I try. Usually it works.”

  “So did you just call to chitchat? I can get your mom.”

  Eli’s heart sank. It would help if he got the impression his dad wanted to put forth an effort too. “Actually, I called because I had a question I wanted to ask you. Whatever happened to your old baseball card collection?”

  “I got rid of most of them in college. They didn’t hold any appeal for me anymore,” his dad said gruffly. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Wayne’s been asking about it,” Eli replied, trying to decide how far to press the questions. He could already hear the withdrawal in his dad’s voice. There was nothing else he could say without sounding accusing, and that was not how he wanted to end their conversation.

  “You tell Wayne Grayson to talk to his dad,” Dad said in a tone that Eli recognized all too well, a tone that said he would speak no further on the subject.

  “I’m sure he has.” As much as he tried to keep the barb out of his voice, Eli didn’t entirely succeed. “Maybe you’ll recall that he’s still recovering from his stroke.”

  “Gareth’s here, perhaps you want to talk to him instead.” And with that, Eli’s dad was off the phone. Eli didn’t know whether he wanted to snarl or sigh. Just once, he’d like to have a conversation with him that didn’t end with his insides tied up in knots.

  Stupid fool. Only Eli wasn’t sure if he was referring to himself for hoping or to his dad.

  “What did you say? Did you tell him you were bringing a handsome hunk home for the break?” Gareth said with a laugh in his voice as he picked up. Eli certainly didn’t mind talking to his cousin. Gareth was his age and one of his closest friends growing up, but dammit, his dad frustrated the hell out of him.

  “I think his hair would’ve fallen out on the spot. I haven’t even told Dad that I’m seeing someone, much less that he has a military background too.” His dad would probably accuse him of corruption or something stupid like that. If he found out Ash was his student, too, Eli didn’t even want to think about his reaction. “I haven’t figured out how to break it to him.”

  That was a conversation for another day. There was no way Eli would put Ash in the awkward situation of being sprung on his family. At least he had one absolute ally in Tennessee. It shouldn’t ache so much that his dad never had a problem accepting Gareth’s gayness. It wasn’t fair, but then Gareth wasn’t his son, and that made all the difference.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ash smiled as he reached Eli’s office. The man had gone out of his way to avoid him this week. There had been no more lingering after class so they could have a few words together before parting, and Eli certainly hadn’t extended an invitation to join him on one of his afternoon hikes. But Eli couldn’t avoid the one-on-one meeting to talk about Ash’s paper, and he wasn’t allowed to avoid dinner tonight. Ash intended to make the most of both opportunities.

  He knocked on Eli’s door and peered in, grinning anew at his lover’s wary gaze. “Hey there, Doc.”

  “Any chance I can count on you to behave this afternoon?” Eli asked as Ash came in and locked the door. “Never mind, I take that as a resounding no. A man’s office should be sacred.”

  “Don’t worry, Eli. I don’t plan on molesting you.” Ash paused and blatantly ogled Eli. “Yet. Paper first.”

  “It’s the ‘yet’ that concerns me. Just as long as I don’t turn around and find you next to naked, we’ll be fine.” Eli sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk as he watched Ash take a seat. “How have you been?”

  “You’d know if you hadn’t tried avoiding me this week. I didn’t realize you were that worried about my seduction techniques.”

  Eli shot him a withering glance at his teasing. “I was still irked with you. I wanted the chance to calm down before you pissed me off again.”

  “You know, every time I think I have you figured out you surprise me again.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Ash pulled off his gloves and started to unbutton his coat. “I never would’ve taken you as a man who held grudges.”

  “It’s not a grudge. Sometimes it takes me a while to calm down, especially when people keep provok—” His mouth dropped open as Ash took his coat off and tossed it onto the other chair. Then Eli’s eyes heated, and he abandoned his casual pose to sit up and lean forward. “You are an evil man, Ashley Gallagher.”

  “If you say so.” Ash glanced down at his T-shirt, emblazoned with the words I have no gag reflex, and grinned at Eli. “Bring back memories, gorgeous? I can demonstrate if you like.”

  “Now that you’ve fried my brain, did you bring your outline?”

  Ash laughed and dug in his book bag for the paper. “You’re right, let’s get business out of the way first; gives us more time to play after.” He captured Eli’s wrist as he reached out to take the document. “You’re still wearing your cuffs. I thought you’d gotten rid of them after last weekend.”

  “I didn’t mind being tied up that much.” Faint spots of color appeared on Eli’s cheeks. “And just because I left camp mad doesn’t mean I didn’t like the sentiment behind you giving them to me. Besides, a bet is a bet.”

  Ash released him and sat back, trying to figure out what Eli meant by that statement. Was that an invitation to tie him up again? Maybe. Because if Eli was bound, he could claim he wasn’t responsible for what happened between them. Clever bastard. Then he’d get the sex and still wiggle around the bet.

  Maybe that was part of it, but Ash didn’t think that was the only thing Eli meant. He watched Eli dig out his glasses, his face turning serious as he looked over Ash’s outline. That expression hit him like a fist to the gut. Eli’s good opinion mattered to him. More than anyone’s had in a long time, ever since he’d left the Marines and those he’d considered family far behind.

  Holy shit. Wait till Kurtis got a load of this. Ash might be falling for someone.

  “Well done,” Eli said, looking up to smile at him. “It sounds like it’s going to be a good paper. Have you started it yet?”

  Ash’s heart flipped at that warm, genuine smile. If he didn’t get it together he was a goner, and he couldn’t fall for Eli. That wasn’t in the plans he had for his life, even if daydreams of future possibilities kept intruding on his thoughts. “Not yet. I’ve been working on another project for my criminal justice class. I went off my schedule last weekend.”

  “Life has a way of doing that to us sometimes.” Eli handed the outline back to him. “As much as I would like to stall and nitpick, I can’t. You’ve got a solid start.”

  “Thanks. I have to say, I’m impressed. I don’t know what you said to Whitney, but she�
��s a changed lady.” Whitney had shown up on time all week, dressed demurely by Whitney standards.

  “I just laid out her options.”

  “Uh huh. I’m sure that was it.” Probably with a little bit of that disapproving look Eli wielded so well in class. Eli also had a pointed way with words when he didn’t let his emotions get the better of him. Ash tucked his outline away, and when he turned back, he had the pleasure of seeing that wary look on Eli’s face again. Damned if it didn’t just make him want Eli more.

  “Now for the second reason why I’m here.”

  “Ash, you stay right there in your seat,” Eli snapped as Ash rose. He started to take off his glasses, but Ash stopped him with a quick shake of his head.

  “Leave them on. You have no idea how sexy they are on you.”

  Eli’s hand fell away. It looked as if he wanted to get up and bolt, but his own stubborn nature held him in the chair as Ash approached. “I am not giving in to your fantasies of seducing a professor in his office.”

  “I never had such a fantasy until I met you.” Ash came around the desk and leaned his hip against it. Eli was sitting properly in his chair, with it scooted close instead of sprawling out, one foot propped up on his desk as usual. It made Ash wonder what he was trying to hide. He smiled and used his foot to roll the chair back.

  “You know how much I love a man with pride?” he asked as Eli’s hands twitched, but he didn’t cling to the desk to stop the chair from moving. Eli glared up at him, two spots of color dark on his cheeks as his obvious arousal pressed against his jeans. It made Ash’s cock throb as well.

  “Is that hard-on because you’ve been thinking of me deepthroating you? Or because I locked you in here with me?”

  “A little of both.”

  Ash eyed Eli’s groin. He could almost taste him in his mouth already. “Are you going to stop me?” Ash didn’t wait for his answer. He swiveled Eli’s chair around and sank to his knees in front of him.

  “Wait.” Eli caught Ash’s hands as he slid them up his thighs. “Fuck, you make it hard to think.”

  “That’s the point.” Ash laughed. “I don’t want you thinking, unless it’s of my mouth on you.”

  He watched Eli’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “You know, I have been waiting all week for you to make your move, and you behaved. I got myself all worked up, steeled myself, and you had my own mind working against me.”

  “If you hadn’t run so fast out of class all week, I might’ve had a chance to misbehave.” Ash rubbed his fingers in circles on Eli’s thighs since the man hadn’t released his hands yet. “I don’t see why you’re putting up such a fight. You want me as much as I want you.”

  Eli groaned, a shiver going through him, faint, but Ash could feel it in his grip. God, the man was addicting.

  “And all the reasons for keeping our hands off each other haven’t changed despite our bet.”

  “A convenient excuse. That didn’t stop you from indulging in exactly what you wanted last weekend.”

  “Those were special circumstances. If anyone had found out you’d followed me, they’d never believe we behaved. If I’m going to be damned for something, especially something I want, then I’ll take it.” Eli pulled Ash’s hands off his thighs though he didn’t try to retreat more than that. “Besides, you stormed in there all pissed off and I was already fired up. It just added fuel. How could a man resist that?”

  The man could trap him up with words all afternoon long, and Ash still wouldn’t be able to outargue him. Eli would talk until Ash’s knees were stiff, so he did what was more natural to him and took action. He leaned forward and planted his lips right on the delicious bulge pressing against Eli’s jeans.

  Eli gasped and jerked back. Fuck, Ash was going to make this really hard. He couldn’t really feel Ash’s lips through the thick denim, but that didn’t stop his cock from reacting to the kiss. A wave of electricity zinged through him as his cock ached in a demand to be released.

  “Dammit, Ash.”

  Eli jumped to his feet, all of his arguments skittering right out of his thoughts. It was hard to remember them, especially considering most of them no longer had any validity. The bet was all but over now that he’d confronted Wayne. There wouldn’t be any more threats, so there was no need to go to the police. Wayne wasn’t going to risk going to jail and abandoning his father, and he now knew that Eli was willing to go to Sheriff Cooper if he was pushed further.

  He didn’t think Ash would be happy when he found out.

  Ash gave him an amused smile that did nothing to mask the hungry light in his eyes. Damned if the man didn’t make him weak inside. And the kicker was, Eli wanted to give in to him and not because of the allure of illicit sex in his office, as powerful as that was at the moment.

  He wanted to give in to Ash all the way. He wanted to let Ash into his heart like he hadn’t let anyone in for a long time. Conversely enough, because of that need, Eli pushed him away even harder and hid behind his genuine need to keep the affair private for now.

  Ash rose to his feet and circled behind Eli. The hair on the back of Eli’s neck stirred as warm fingers brushed aside his ponytail to expose the nape. “You’re right, foreplay can wait.”

  “Ash.” Eli shivered as warm breath ghosted over his neck. Ash kissed him there, a simple touch that made his heart race and had Eli wanting to lean back into his arms.

  “Eli.” Ash slid his arms around Eli’s waist, tugging him back. Eli half-closed his eyes, his head tipping to the side as Ash’s lips wandered down to his throat. “I’ve missed you this week. You’ve been so distant. I don’t like it when you put up that wall.”

  Eli turned his head to reply, and the words were lost as Ash kissed him. His hand came up to cup the back of Ash’s neck as his lips parted. He’d missed Ash too; he hadn’t realized how much until Ash had showed up for their meeting. He’d missed his companionship and the way Ash challenged him more than he’d missed the sex. And kissing him now was like finding a little piece of himself that had been missing.

  Ash groaned and slid his hand down to Eli’s cock, squeezing it through his jeans. Eli jolted, his knees weakening from the rush of pure heat. He hadn’t realized Ash was moving them until Eli’s thighs touched the desk. Ash had told him of this particular fantasy a number of times, how he thought of bending Eli over his desk or laying him back on it. And damned if Eli couldn’t picture it in intimate, glorious detail.

  Eli broke the kiss and turned his head before Ash could capture his lips again. “Are you doing this because you want to seduce me or because you want to win the bet?”

  “Can’t I want both?”

  Disappointment left a sour taste in Eli’s mouth. What were the odds of him having two students come on to him in his office during the same semester? Hell, within a week, even. Even if the circumstances were completely different. Ash had him wanting to melt through his desk, while Whitney had had him contemplating hiding behind it. But they both did it because they wanted something from him, whether it was improved grades or to win a bet.

  “Not if you were looking to score today.” Eli broke free of Ash’s embrace and turned to face him. “And even if you weren’t looking for that, and as hot as I would find it to fuck in my office, you’re still my student and here on class business.”

  “You’re even hot when your mouth gets that little prim line.” Ash leaned his hip against the desk and crossed his arms. He didn’t have to look so damned amused. “You have to admit the forbidden is part of the attraction.”

  Eli ignored the quick slice of hurt and started to gather the books he wanted for the weekend. What did that mean for them? Dammit, why did he always seem to want more than what he was given?

  “You’re doing that again, pulling away.” Eli glanced over and saw the concern in Ash’s green eyes.

  “I’m gay. I’ve had my fill of wanting the forbidden, Ash. I’d think you’d be tired of it too.” He wanted stability and comfort. He just wanted to find s
omebody he could grow old with. He didn’t know when that want had crept up, but it had sunk its claws into him with a vengeance.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t change who you are.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Eli broke off, his arguments and reasons getting tangled up inside. All he knew was that he was frustrated with the entire situation, with Ash and with himself. It wasn’t even Ash’s fault. He hadn’t been anything but honest with Eli about what he was looking for. It was Eli’s problem that he wanted more.

  “What’s going on with you?” Irritation laced Ash’s voice now. “I don’t get you sometimes. One minute you’re hot, the next you’re cold. What aren’t you telling me?”