As Kieran spoke those last few words, his gaze locked onto my face.

I pretended not to notice. "What's your undergraduate major?"

"Also physiology. I'm a junior."

"You're already preparing for grad school? That's early."

"I want to be prepared, play it safe." He smiled at me. "Besides, I've sat in on your lectures before, Professor Lovell. They're excellent."

I froze. "You've sat in on my classes?"

"The Human Physiology Fundamentals course you're teaching this semester. I've attended every lecture."

His eyes stayed fixed on me. "Your teaching is very engaging, Professor, especially today's section on the genital response cycle. You covered a lot of details very clearly."

I caught the implication in his words.

"So… Do you have any specific questions?"

He pulled a notebook from his bag, flipped it open, and slid it across the desk. "This section on male genital response mechanisms—there are some parts I don't understand."

I looked down. The notebook contained neat notes from my lectures, covered with dense annotations. He'd clearly been paying attention.

"Here, you mentioned that male genital response has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. My question is, if someone remains in the plateau phase with continued stimulation but doesn't reach climax, what are the physiological effects?"

It was a legitimate academic question. I answered carefully. "Prolonged plateau phase without release can cause prostatic congestion. Over time, this could potentially lead to prostatitis and other issues. So appropriate…"

Halfway through, I realized something and looked up. Kieran stared back at me, the hint of a smile playing at his lips.

"So Professor Lovell, if someone stays aroused for a long time without release, they need to take care of it, right?"

Take care of it? My heart skipped a beat.

"That's… Well—"

"I have a friend who's been dealing with this recently," he cut me off.

"He gets aroused randomly, and once it happens, it won't go away. Sometimes it lasts for hours. He saw a doctor who said there's nothing physically wrong and suggested he just needs release."

He stared at me intently, enunciating each word slowly. "Professor Lovell, do you think that's sound medical advice?"

My face grew hot. Every word seemed loaded with suggestion.

"Well… From a physiological standpoint, appropriate release does help relieve prostatic congestion. But it really depends on the specific circumstances."

"Would you be willing to help him, Professor?"

"What?"

Before I could process his question, he leaned down, hands bracing against the arms of my chair, trapping me in place.

"Kieran, you…"

"Professor Lovell." His mouth moved close to my ear, his voice overlapping with that same whisper from the stairwell.

"You're turned on. Need help with that?"

The sensation from the stairwell, that touch that had brought me to the edge of losing control, seemed to crawl back over my body. I trembled, unable to stop it, feeling the heat between my legs intensify.

Kieran looked down at me, amusement in his eyes, taking in my every reaction.