Page 74 of Finley

Brantley shook his head. “That’s not very helpful.”

“Yes, it is. I said she’d like either.”

“Ugh…”

Daniel chuckled, and the glare Brantley leveled him with should’ve had him lying dead at his feet.

“I’m glad this is so amusing to you.”

He touched his fingers under Brantley’s chin and lowered his head to brush their lips together. “I promise I’m not laughing at you—more like the situation.”

“You find the situation amusing? How?”

“Because I’m finally taking a guy home to meet my mother. That’s funny when you think about the fact that you’re theonlyone I would’ve taken home before. She’s been waiting her entire life for this moment. You wouldn’t want to rob her of that, would you?”

Brantley’s eyes narrowed. “We’re only going to dinner, right? You aren’t going to spring anything else on me?”

“Nope. Just dinner.”

“A hell of an awkward one.”

“Which at the end of, you’re going to bring me home and to your bed, where you can take all of your frustrations out on me.”

“Oh, good. Because knowingthatwon’t make dinner even more awkward, Finn.” Brantley rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll just take both.”

“It’s going to be okay.”

“Is it?”

And, as the words hovered between them, Daniel wondered if Brantley was asking about the dinner or something much more complex. Either way, he was unsure how to answer. So he took a step back and held out his hand.

“Come on, Professor Hayes. Let me take you to my mother’s house for dinner.”

DANIEL WIPEDHIS hands over the black slacks his mother had pressed for him and waited for the front door of the dean’s house to open.

“Would you stop fidgeting? You look very handsome this evening, Finn.”

He looked at his mother, who was standing beside him with a proud smile on her face, and all he could think about was the fact that he was about to be in a room with his teachers, his friends, his mother, and the man he was sleeping with each night.Oh wait, yeah, he’s also one of my teachers.

Never before had he been nervous or apprehensive about being around Brantley in front of others, so he could only attribute it to his mother’s presence. And that he really wanted her to like his professor both as his teacher and as, secretly, a whole lot more.

When the front door opened and Professor Devaney greeted them, Daniel tried to swallow past the lump of nerves lodged in his throat. He wasn’t positive, but he suspected that his history professor knew more about him and Brantley than anyone else. Other than Derek, of course.

“Good evening, Daniel. Mrs. Finley. Welcome.”

“Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here,” she said, extending her hand toward the young professor, who flashed her a friendly smile.

“The pleasure is ours, I assure you.”

He released her hand, and as she walked farther into the room, Professor Devaney held his hand out to Daniel. He took it. Then his history professor stepped closer and grinned before angling his head to the left.

“ProfessorHayesis over by the hors d'oeuvres table. I know he’s looking forward to meeting you, Mrs. Finley. Daniel is one of his favorite students.”

“Oh, yes,” his mother said.

And Professor Devaney arched an eyebrow.Oh shit. Yeah, he knows, all right.

“Daniel has told me a lot about him. He thinks very highly of him.”