The door squeaked open.
Penny tumbled into the office just as Dale jerked away from Greg, but there was no mistaking how close they had been, Dale’s lips kiss-swollen, their scents mingled.
“Professor, I hoped you might be around...” Penny frowned at the empty desk and turned, her eyes growing wide when Dale eased toward the other end of the couch. A flush crept up his neck.
Greg frowned. The hell?
Before he could speak, June skidded into the office, lab coat fluttering around her legs, her forehead creased. “I’ve told you, Penny, he’s left for home—”
June’s eyes snagged on Greg, then Dale, who had curled up in the corner of his couch. Dale looked beseechingly at her, his fingers curled into his pants. June sighed and rubbed her face.
“You knew this was going on?” Penny asked, looking accusingly at June.
What a nosy bitch, Greg thought.
“I’ve told you, Penny. This is none of your business,” June said, her voice edged with impatience. “Office hours are over. Dale’s not working right now.”
“But you told me he’s your bondmate!” Penny said, her voice rising. She looked between Greg and Dale again, scandalized. “How could you let him and Greg—”
“Dale’s not actually my bondmate,” June said, at the same time Greg snarled, “He’s mine.”
Greg stood, shielding Dale from Penny, anger thrumming through his veins. Penny had no right to barge in here. No right to walk in on him and Dale, even if Greg had left the door unlocked. All he’d wanted to do was get Dale home, damn it.
Penny’s mouth fell open. She tucked her curls behind her ear, looking between Greg and June. “You’ve been hiding this all along?” she asked June, uncertainty flashing through her eyes.
“Get out,” Greg started to growl, except Dale slipped his fingers into Greg’s, squeezing them. Greg shut up.
Dale climbed to his feet, looking sternly at Penny. “I should have told you to leave your questions for tomorrow, Penny. This concerns June, Greg, and I. Your attention would be better spent on our research project.”
Penny frowned at him, a flush rising on her face. “You told me you were engaged to June.”
“And that is what you shall continue to believe.” Dale exhaled, calm masking his expression. “If you consider yourself a part of my lab, please understand that my personal relationships aren’t something you should worry about. What you saw here—I’d really appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself.”
Dale’s fingers squeezed tight around Greg’s, as though he was trying to put up a brave front. Greg held on to him.
“I’m not feeling well right now—Greg will be sending me home. June has her own fiancée to return to tonight.” Dale smiled at Penny, reaching out for a handshake.
Penny’s mouth fell open. She glanced at June, who shrugged.
Privately, Greg would’ve cornered Penny and growled at her until she promised to keep silent about him and Dale. But Penny reached out, taking Dale’s hand, and maybe Dale’s was the better solution instead.
“You’re an important part of my lab,” Dale said, looking at Penny. “I appreciate that you’re sharp and willing to experiment with new ideas. You borrow concepts from other fields and give us new directions to take our projects. I’m glad to have you as part of my team, Penny, and I’d hate to have to send you away. Is that clear?”
Penny glanced at all of them, flushing scarlet. She shook Dale’s hand. “I understand. I’ll mind my own business. Sorry.”
“If you have questions about the experiments, please do ask June. Or if you’d rather me answer them, drop me an email—I’ll get to it in the morning.”
Penny grimaced. “I really am sorry, Professor.”
“And you’re forgiven.” Dale smiled, kind and beautiful. Greg wanted to pull him close. Hold him. He was precious, and Greg had never told him that before.
Penny glanced at Greg and Dale, then at June, discomfort in her eyes. Then she nodded and ducked out of the office, leaving behind a trace of lily.
For a moment, Greg glanced between Dale and June, wondering how safe it was to talk. Whether their secret could still remain one. Sam Brentwood was an exception, and so was June. But Greg didn’t know Penny Fleming well at all. For all they knew, she’d return to the lab and spread the news.
“Can we trust her?” he asked.
Dale sighed, leaning into Greg’s arm, fatigue slipping back into his face. “I don’t know, to be honest.”
“You did great with her,” June said, closing the office door and locking it. “Sorry. I really did try to stop her, but she got out of the lab while I was in the middle of pipetting. Merciful gods—I’ll have to redo that again—it’ll be 1 AM before that’s done.”
Greg winced. June’s experiments needed hours of prep, and having to redo all of that? He felt sorry for her.
“Work on it tomorrow,” Dale said. “Take a break. Go home early, June, spend some time with Cher. You and Penny have been staying late this entire week. I’d rather you not push yourselves so hard.”
“But the paper—”
“The research will still be here. Take some time off.” Dale smiled tiredly, lacing his fingers with Greg’s. “Go home and cuddle. Cuddling is nice.”
June snorted. “You’re a lot happier now than you were before, Dale. More relaxed.”
“I was?” Dale nuzzled Greg’s shoulder. Greg pressed a kiss to his temple.
“Yes. Remember me taking two weeks off for the vacation? You were so reluctant to let me go.”
“Because I needed you to mark me.” Dale glanced at Greg, a bright flush creeping up his neck.
“Why?” Greg asked, narrowing his eyes. He remembered Dale smelling like June, but Dale needing to smell like her? That was new. And it made him want to growl.
“So I had a reason to decline coffee with you.” Dale
