“What did my dad say about her?” Greg asked.
Dale kissed him, savoring Greg’s warmth. “He passed on her profile when I said she’s three years older than you.”
That thought sobered him up. How could Bernard Hastings even accept Dale as a son-in-law, when Dale was old enough to be Greg’s father? Dale was Bernard’s employee; for all Bernard knew, Dale had manipulated his son.
What would Penny think of him now, and what would she say to the rest of the lab? Would his students leave him? Would they eye him and secretly think he was perverse, for sleeping with someone their age?
“I’m twenty years older than you,” Dale mumbled, glancing down at himself. Greg had never mentioned it, but Dale saw the stray blemish here, the gray hair there. His body had lost some of its definition from his youth, and if he squinted hard enough, crow’s feet clustered at his eyes.
What did it mean that Dale was in love with an alpha half his age? He’d tried so hard not to get to this point. Except Greg had stayed, and Dale... had allowed him to fit their lives together. He’d allowed himself to fall in love with Greg.
Bernard Hastings would scoff at him, his lips turning down in distaste.
Dale swallowed. “I think we might’ve made a mistake.”
Greg’s lips thinned. “You mean, us?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not a mistake,” Greg growled, pushing himself up to hover over Dale. “The baby isn’t a mistake, either. I want both of you.”
“You said you weren’t certain about a future,” Dale whispered, looking into his eyes. They’d been working on this for the past few weeks—Greg’s basketball games, that game in Highton with the NY Rockets. “Are you any more certain about your future now?”
Greg paused, his mouth open, half-formed around an answer. He ran his tongue along his lip, and Dale was glad that he was giving it some thought.
Greg closed his mouth, looking at the sheets. Dale saw the hesitation in his eyes—they could not proceed.
Just as Dale couldn’t set aside their age difference, Greg couldn’t envision a future for them, either.
“Are you sure you want to marry me?” Dale whispered, trailing his fingers over Greg’s heart. “I don’t want you to regret it.”
Greg breathed out, pressing his lips to Dale’s forehead, his breath puffing through Dale’s hair. “I can’t promise you my future,” he said quietly. “I don’t even know what’s in it. Not for more than a week at a time.”
Dale slipped his fingers into Greg’s hands, holding on to him. “You’ll have a future if you believe in it.”
Greg’s throat worked; pain flashed through his eyes. Could they really have a future together? They were both still broken.
“Let’s think about something else,” Dale murmured, caressing Greg’s jaw. “Let’s take things one day at a time. I’m here. And I’m all yours.”
Greg cracked a smile, warmth glimmering in his gaze. When he leaned in to kiss Dale, heat sparked between them, and Dale’s body arched into his alpha’s touch.
Someday, maybe Greg would believe in a future. Then he would leave Dale, to find an omega who was worthy of his love.
In the days following, they trod carefully at school. Dale texted June before he arrived at the lab—she reported no leaks. In the afternoons, Dale stepped into his lectures with bated breath, scanning the crowd. No one said anything, and hardly anyone glanced between him and Greg.
The first time he met Penny at the lab again, Penny watched him with trepidation in her eyes. She glanced warily at June, too. No one else gave Dale a second glance. They didn’t know about the scandal in his private life, then, and Dale was happy to keep it that way.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” Penny said, her gaze lowered. The cheery light in her expression had vanished, and dark splotches lingered under her eyes.
Dale winced. He hadn’t expected his relationship with Greg to give her sleepless nights. “Don’t worry about it. I value you as a part of my team, Penny, and I hope you understand that.”
She glanced dubiously up at him. “Really?”
“I believe in second chances,” Dale said. He believed in second chances for everyone but himself—the baby was a miracle, and anything that happened with Greg was a dream. “Have you spoken to June?”
“Briefly.” Penny bit her lip. “June’s been cool about it. I’m really sorry for intruding.”
She seemed genuine. In that moment, Dale knew he could trust her, more than he trusted the risks of his pregnancy, or Greg staying for its duration. So he patted Penny on the shoulder, giving her a smile. “As far as I’m concerned, you didn’t see anything, okay?”
“Okay.” She smiled weakly at him, hesitating. “For what it’s worth, I’ve thought things over. I hope it goes well. Things between, you know, you and your bondmate.”
Dale stared at her, his skin flushing hot. He’d fantasized about being Greg’s bondmate before. Several times, in fact. But to have someone else think they were bonded, and send them goodwill... It gave him hope that this relationship could work. That not everyone would glance askance at them, thinking Dale perverse for mating with his student.
And if Greg truly wanted to bond with him... Dale’s heart thumped, the old scar on his wrist itching.
“Thank you,” he said, his throat tight. “If you encounter any problems with June, please feel free to tell me about them.”
Penny beamed, light returning to her eyes. Something lifted from Dale’s chest. “Thank you,” she said. “For having me in your lab.”
Dale spread his arms, offering a hug. Penny stepped into them, relief rolling off her in waves.
By the next week, their schedules were crammed full.
Greg’s classes became more intense as his professors scrambled to finish their lectures, piling homework and assignments on top of large group projects.
Dale graded his assignments feverishly—he’d tried to lessen the students’ workload toward the end of the semester. Somehow, that had never worked through the years. There were always more things he wanted to cover
