Page 2 of Hidden Intentions (Quick Bites: MM Short Stories #3)

Kevin

“Dude, you’ve been working on that paper for over two hours now.”

I barely looked up from my laptop screen as Tyler, my roommate, doused himself in my cologne for the third time. He was probably going out to meet some girl. Those were the only times Tyler would come and use my cologne and hair products because according to him, I had “the best shit.”

He could easily go out and find both style and scent, but he relied on me to do both.

I waved my hand at him. “Ay, easy on that.”

He chuckled and turned to face me. “Did you forget Sam’s party at the frat house tonight?”

Ah, that.

Sam was a friend of Tyler’s. They both played for the school’s baseball team. He’d hang out with us sometimes, and I’d end up tagging along with the team every now and then. Over time, I’d even made a few friends there. Sam was your classic party boy— always the life of the party, always hosting. Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about showing up to one of his parties, but tonight? Tonight, I had a different mission: finish this assignment and figure out how to make Professor Parker accept it.

I couldn’t believe it. The source of my attraction—and frustration—was a dick who couldn’t look past a few rules and make an exception for me, and it was times like these I hated not having more authority to put people like him in their place. Being my professor must have made him feel that he truly had some power over me. Withdraw from the class? He’s too funny. That was never going to happen.

So here I was, sulking and trying to redo his fucking assignment. There might not be any point, but I still held out some hope that he’d change his mind after reading the apology email I sent after leaving his office. That fiasco today hadn’t helped my case, but I was banking on him showing me some mercy.

“I didn’t, but I’ll pass on this one,” I muttered. “Gotta work on this paper.”

Tyler scoffed. “When did working on an assignment ever stop you? Is it due tonight? All the boys’ll be coming. Derek’s bringing his roommate too...” He trailed off, a smile creeping onto his face. “The one you asked Sam about last time. What’s his name again?” He snapped his fingers, trying to recall. “Kyle!”

Right.

I’d seen Kyle last week when I tagged along with Ty to practice. He was there to pick up another guy on the team, Derek. Apparently they were roommates, and usually rolled together like that. Kyle isn’t my go-to type but I thought he was cute. I’d asked Sam about him, since he was a mutual friend, and for some reason Ty got it in his head that I had a crush on him.

It was so obvious to me that Kyle had his eyes set on his roommate. The way he looked at him was proof enough and my cue to back off.

Besides, I also had my eyes set on someone. An impossible endeavor, but when did that ever stop me? Heck, the sheer impossibility of it all was what excited me.

I had to fix this little misstep of a failed assignment and get back in Professor Parker’s good books. Well, at least I made some progress today. Small, but progress nonetheless.

We’d touched.

And I’d also discovered something interesting, too.

He’d reacted to me when our chests touched. And not in the way a professor should. The way his gaze had lingered on my lips... it had been begging me to kiss him. All the micro shows were adding up, and today the evidence had pointed to the fact that he wanted me too.

I should have kissed him in his office.

What if I had? Would he have liked it?

Would he whimper like a little bitch when my tongue fucked that prudish mouth of his?

Fuck.

My cock did a little twitch.

“Dude, you’re smiling really weird right now,” Tyler said, eyeing me like I’d grown another head. “Didn’t know you were that into Derek’s roommate. I can get his number for you if you want.”

I shook my head, snapping back to the present. “Nah, it’s not like that.”

Tyler didn’t look convinced, but he shrugged it off and turned back to the mirror, running a hand through his hair with more care than necessary. Yeah, he was definitely meeting someone at the party.

After he left, I tried to focus, but my mind kept drifting. Every few minutes, I checked my inbox.

Nothing.

No response from Professor Parker.

Just as I was about to give up, a new email popped up, and my chest went tight at the sight of his name in the sender’s line. I clicked it open, my pulse kicking up a notch, only to have every ounce of hope crushed by five blunt words.

Professor Parker: My answer remains the same.

Fucking prick.

An exasperated groan escaped my lips as I glared at my laptop screen.

So this was how it was going to be, huh?

I hadn’t filled out the withdrawal form either. The second I left his office I’d crumpled that shit up and tossed it in the trash. So there goes that . There was zero chance of me dropping the damn class.

Why was I even stuck inside doing some tight-ass’s assignment when he clearly didn’t give a shit?

I was halfway through answering the first of three questions for this stupid paper, thinking Professor Parker would reconsider if he saw I was making an effort. But of course he wouldn’t budge.

“Fuck all of this.” It was a fucking Friday, after all.

I pushed back from my desk and sprang to my feet, ready to do something, anything, to shake off this frustration. I was too annoyed to join the guys at the party at the frat house, but I needed to party alright—just not the kind with cheap beer and sweaty college kids.

I needed a good hole to fuck.

To relax.

And after that, I’d figure out what to do with that tight-ass professor.

Hell, all that thinking about the incident in his office and kissing him had my cock twitching again in my pants. A hand job and porn wouldn’t cut it tonight.

Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my contacts. I had a few boys on a rotation when I needed to blow off steam, and tonight the lucky guy to have my dick was going to be...

Titus. An accountant I’d met when I first moved to New York for college. We’d kept it going over the years, no strings attached, just a mutual understanding for whenever either of us was in the mood. He liked it rough, which was perfect for my mood tonight.

I needed to ram this frustration out of me.

Hey

He texted back the next instant. I liked that about him. Never one to make you wait.

Yep. I'm down to fuck. I'm at the HoneySuckle

Meet me there?

Perfect. Straight to the point. Just how I liked it.

No games. No rules. Just understanding. This was already turning out great. We were on the same page, and I knew that because of his choice of drinking venue.

If he was at the HoneySuckle, that meant he was already looking to hook up with someone for the night. The bar had a reputation for that kind of thing, and was also a discreet spot, being out of town. Not many people knew of it.

I’ll be there in forty. Be a good boy and wait for me.

Just as I stepped out of the Uber, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Titus.

Head’s killing me. Had to leave.

Fucking great. My night just kept getting shittier. Now I couldn’t even get a decent fuck. Clenching my jaw, I typed out a reply.

No worries.

Titus and I weren’t close, and we weren’t committed, so there was no other response I could give, even if I was disappointed. I shook my head, hating how everything was putting me on edge.

But I was here, so no point going back to the dorm. Time to find another fuck.

Damn you, Professor Parker . This was all his fault, and yet I couldn’t get him out of my fucking head, couldn’t stop hearing that little gasp that left his mouth when I brushed against him. Couldn’t stop wanting him. Still .

As I pushed through the bar doors, the smell of booze and cheap cologne greeted my nose. The place was packed, bodies pressed together on the dance floor under the dim neon lights, music vibrating through the floorboards. My gaze swept the room, trying to see if there was anyone around who seemed worth it. No point sticking around if nothing caught my interest.

A group of older men were crowded around the pool table, half drunk and goading each other as they took turns playing. Against the far wall, a couple were locked in a heated conversation that looked like it could end in either a fight or a kiss. All the cozy booths were taken, so it was either the dance floor, or perching against a wall until I found someone.

Maybe I should grab a drink first to lighten up my mood.

I scanned the bar area; it wasn’t as packed. There was an empty seat in the middle of—

I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes landed on a familiar figure hunched over the bar, fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass. His slim frame was swallowed by a large coat, and the high collar of the black turtleneck underneath it made him look even more closed off, like he didn’t want to be here. His hair fell over his forehead, partly hiding his face.

Well, well, well. A slow smile crept onto my lips as my heartbeat kicked up a notch. Look what we have here. As if sensing me, he looked up in my direction, and our eyes locked.

The blood drained from his face as his whole body went rigid, his eyes growing wider the longer he stared.

He let go of the glass and scrambled to his feet. My pulse started to race, anticipation coiling tight in my chest as he strode straight toward me.

But he didn’t stop.

The brief moment as he walked past me to the exit made my face drop. It wasn’t the fact that he ignored me, it was the look on his face that bothered me.

He was in too much of a panic.

My smile faded. “Fuck.”

It wasn’t a stretch to guess that my presence upset him, though I tried to think that maybe it wasn’t personal. His expression didn’t have anything to do with me particularly.

He just hadn’t expected to run into one of his students here, at not just any gay bar but one that was popular as a hook-up spot.

That was all.

Shit.

He wouldn’t actually think I was stalking him or some shit like that... would he?

I hoped not. This was pure coincidence. But damn if it didn’t feel like the universe was handing me something on a silver platter here. This was the perfect opportunity I hadn’t even realized I was waiting for.

Until now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever’s looking out for me up there! I hadn’t prayed in a long time, but it looked like someone up there still had my back.

I went after Professor Parker, cursing even louder at how fast he moved. By the time I stepped onto the sidewalk, he was already waving down a cab, tapping his feet on the concrete in frustration when the car he was trying to flag down went past him.

“Professor...” I called out, stepping closer. His back stiffened, but he didn’t respond or turn to look at me.

“Professor—”

Before I could get another word out, a cab screeched to a stop in front of us, and he all but dove inside.

Too bad for him, I was faster. I slid in right after him, shutting the door.

His head snapped toward me, eyes wide with alarm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I bumped against him so he’d make more room for me. It seemed to work as he flinched away.

“Hello to you too, Professor.”

His jaw clenched. “Get out.”

“Nope.” I stretched out in the seat, that reckless energy pumping through my veins with full force. “Funny running into you here, huh? I don’t know, but it’s feeling a lot like fate or something.” I tilted my head, holding his gaze. “I mean, we still have something to resolve, don’t we, Professor?”

A muscle ticked near his temple. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice was tight, but there was something else there... something shaky. “This isn’t...” He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair.

I leaned in, dropping my voice. “This isn’t what?”

The driver cleared his throat loudly before Professor Parker could respond.

“I ain’t got all night for a lover’s quarrel.”

Professor Parker jerked upright, his face twisting in horror. “Oh... oh, no! We’re not ...”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at how spot-on the driver was, ’cause yeah, this did feel like a little lover’s spat. Without thinking, I draped an arm around his shoulder, and he practically jumped, shock washing over his handsome face.

“Won’t you give him your address, Matt?” I flashed him a smile, watching as his gaze flickered—just like earlier in his office—right to my lips.

The use of his first name in short form instead of his title was a power move. We both knew it.

And by the way his pupils expanded, he liked it.

My cock twitched in my pants.

Fuck.

How did he get me so worked up without even trying?

“Come on. Your address,” I murmured, also watching those tempting lips of his, letting unholy thoughts race through my mind.

He swallowed deeply, his gaze shifting to meet mine. “Why the hell would I take you to my place?”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. I’d never heard Professor Parker curse before. I fucking loved this side of him. What else was he hiding behind his mask?

This was a good sign. Fantastic progress. He was now comfortable enough to swear around me, something he’d never do with any of his students. It made me feel special. A unique case.

A unique case that had a chance of becoming something more.

“The address, sir?” The driver looked at us through the rearview mirror, waiting for a response. Professor Parker shot me a glare and shrugged my arm off before rattling off his address to the driver.

The car jerked forward, merging into the traffic.

I leaned back, my heart still racing as a smile formed on my lips. Oh, Professor, you’re making this way too easy. All this drama and he still gave the driver his address. If he truly—emphasis on truly —didn’t want to take me home, nothing would have stopped him from resisting me harder or even stepping out of the car himself.

Ha ha. I see what you’re doing, Professor. You want to play the game of keeping your propriety even though your subtle cues scream otherwise. No need to worry. I’ll accept the blame for tonight. I’ll be the bad boy for you, so when you look at yourself in the mirror you can still believe the lie you tell yourself—that you don’t want this.

I sighed, turning to face him. “So, do you go to HoneySuckle often?” I asked, waiting for a response but getting none. “I used to go there a lot, but you know, life gets busy.”

His silence felt a little too loud. I paused, watching him closely. “You must be a newcomer to the bar, though, right? I would’ve spotted you long ago if you were a regular.”

Instead of answering, Professor Parker met my questions with a cold blank stare, and I chuckled. This ride was going to be rather fun, and I was all for it. I wasn’t going to back down. How could I when I could see the desire flickering in his midnight eyes, no matter how hard he tried to mask it. The micro shows were pinging all over his face. And judging by the way he was gripping his knee like a lifeline, I wasn’t the only one feeling it.

He wanted me.