Chapter 8

HuntingBen down and picking him up from that house party was stupid. If someone saw me driving Ben and reported it to the dean, I have no excuse for why I was doing it.

When I received his first text, I knew I had to get him to ensure he was safe. And even though this has the possibility to all blow up in my face, I'm glad he's with me.

I wish I knew where he lived. But Ben is too drunk to remember, which means I'll have to bring him back to my house for the night and decide what I'm going to do in the morning. At the very least, I will have to fill out some paperwork saying that Ben and I have a history so things don't bite either of us in the ass.

If tonight proves anything, it's that I'm addicted to Ben Cooper. If I wasn't, I could have ignored his texts, but the instant his contact information lit up my phone, I opened the text without hesitation.

For the last couple of weeks, since he's reentered my life, Ben has been all I've thought about, and it felt like fate when he finally texted me. I could say this will be the last time I do something stupid, but it won't be. Ben is my kryptonite.

When I pull into my driveway, Ben is snoring, and I give his shoulder a gentle shove. "We're here," I whisper, and he slowly opens one eye.

"Where's here?" he questions in a drunken yet sleepy voice.

"My housesince you apparently forgot where you live. I have a spare bedroom for you to sleep off your drunken stupor in."

"I'd prefer your bedroom," he murmurs, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"You're too drunk for that," I tell him, and he shrugs before nearly falling out of my car when he opens the door.

I rush to his side to help him, shaking my head.

"How much did you have to drink?" I inquire.

"I no-no," he mumbles.

I sigh because there's no use in trying to pluck more information out of him until morning. But I am concerned he might get in trouble for underage drinking. That has to be against the rules for student athletes. But again, that's something I'll have to talk to him about when he's sober and able to form coherent thoughts.

Carefully, I help Ben into my house, guiding him to the spare bedroom. I leave him there briefly to grab a bottle of water and some aspirin. Heaven knows he's going to need those for his hangover tomorrow.

When I return, Ben is stripping out of his clothes, and I squeeze my eyes shut. "Why didn't you wait to do that?" I grumble, fighting the urge to stare at his perfect body. It wouldn't be right to ogle him while he's inebriated like this and unable to give consent to anything.

"I no wike cwoz," he argues, somehow sounding more drunk and equally as tired.

I exhale with a sigh, moving to set the water and aspirin on the nightstand, keeping my gaze off Ben. "Drink all of the water and take two aspirin," I command in a tone I hope he won't argue with.

"Yes, Daddy," he mumbles, grabbing the bottle of water.

Shaking my head, I wish he wouldn't call me that right now.

Ben unscrews the cap and guzzles down a good portion of the bottle, making me happy.

"If you need anything, let me know," I tell him, heading for the door.

He hums his agreement, and by the rustling of the blankets, I know he's climbing into bed. I want nothing more than to climb in with him and hold him, but I refuse to take advantage of someone who's had too much to drink, so I force my feet to walk out the door to my bedroom.

Thankfully, it's a Friday night, and I don't have to work tomorrow because I highly doubt I'm going to sleep well tonight. especially with the boy who has been invading all my dreams sleeping across the hall.

The sun wakesme up way too early.

Eventhough I'vebarely slept, Iwon't be able to go back to sleep, so I throw on a pair of sweats anda ratty old T-shirt, then head to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

Once it's going, Ihead to check on Ben, quietly opening the door and peering in to make sure he's okay. He's still fast asleep, but he's kicked off the blankets and is lying spread eagle on the bed, his cock resting heavy against his thigh. My own dick thickens at the sight, and I instantly feel like a creep. Quickly, I close my eyes and softly shut the door, not wanting to disturbhim, and head back to the kitchen.

Needing to keep myself busy, I start whipping up some pancakes. I'll be able to keep them warm in the oven for when Ben eventually wakes up. Heaven only knows when that will be. That boy drank a hell of a lot last night, and sleep will help him recover.

While I cook, my thoughts keep drifting to my time with Ben at the resort. Never in my life was I more alive than I was in those few days. I wanted more from him, but he insisted it was for the best that we didn't exchange numbers, and I didn't argue. I knew how busy my life was, and letting him go seemed like the responsible thing to do. But now he's back in my life, and he wants me.

I still don't have time to give him all the attention he deserves, but he was insistent on not wanting a boyfriend because he'll also be busy once the hockey season starts. He wants something purely physical. I want to fight it, but the idea is insanely intriguing.

With the pancakes done and in the oven to keep warm, I head to my kitchen table, where my laptop is, and pull up the policy on faculty dating students. If I'm going to take the plunge with Ben, I have to ensure this doesn't go against the rules before I make up my mind.