Page 20 of Chasing Temptation
“And what about Davenport,Miss Smith?” I give her a smile in the hope it shows her that I couldn’t really give a fuck what her name is—it’s the person she is that I’ve fallen for.
“Davenport is my married name. My maiden name is Montgomery. I used Smith because I thought it would help me blend in. Like I said, it was stupid.”
“Quinn, you’re anything but stupid. You’re incredible. Everything you’ve done, everything you’ve been through. I’m blown away and I don’t really know any of it.” Guilt fills her face. “Don’t give me that look. Take as much time as you need.”
She nods but gently gets up. “Please can I use your phone?”
“Eat your heart out.”
She takes my phone from my hand when I hold it out for her. I’ve no idea if it’s got any battery or not; it’s not exactly been my biggest concern the past few days.
She turns it on and then starts tapping at the screen. “Do you want to pick yourself some clothes?”
“Nah, you do it. I trust you.” She smiles at me before looking back down. “I know one thing you can add though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“One of those little nurse’s outfits. You know the ones, nice and low, short, with some white stockings.” I nod as the image of her wearing it appears in my mind. My cock swells and my heart rate increases as I imagine her giving me a one of a kind bed bath.Oh yeah, maybe being a patient isn’t so bad after all.
The second I take in the panicked look on her face, all the images in my mind fade.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just...you wouldn’t want that.”
“You’re joking, right? I want that more than anything.” A smirk curls at the corner of my mouth, but it doesn’t affect her.
“No, I’m not. You...you don’t want that.”
Faster than I can figure out how to respond, she’s up and out of the chair and running towards the back of the lodge. A door slams shut, putting an end to our conversation and breaking the connection between us.
“Fuck,” I mutter, rubbing my palm down my face.What did I say that was so wrong?
It takes longer than I’d like to get myself out of the low chair I’d all but fallen into, but eventually I’m following her tracks and come to a stop outside the door she disappeared behind. Her quiet sobs sound out and my heart breaks. My girl’s much more affected by everything that happened than she’s allowing me to see, and I hate that she’s trying to deal with it all alone.
“Quinn?” I knock gently but there’s no response. “Can I come in, babe?” Again, nothing but the sound of her cries.
I fucking hate this. I should be the one protecting her, drying her tears, not stuck on the wrong side of the fucking door. It was only a few days ago I smashed down a few to get to her—I won’t bat an eyelid about having to do it again if necessary. Fuck the stitches in my stomach, I need her, damn it.
Taking a chance, I wrap my fingers around the handle and push. I’m amazed when it twists and the click of the latch moving fills my ears.
A knot of dread forms in my stomach at what I’m going to find on the other side. Ignoring it, I push the door open and step inside.
My breath catches when I find her sitting on the cold tiled floor beside the bath with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees. Her shoulders shake with her cries, and I want nothing more than to scoop her up into my arms and carry her to bed so I can hold her until she forgets. It kills me that I’m not able to do just that. Instead, I rest my back against the wall she’s sitting in front of and slide down until my arse hits the floor beside her.
She stiffens when she realises I’m next to her. It’s physically painful, but I just about manage to keep my hands to myself. I can practically feel the walls she’s put up around herself, and I’ve got to respect that she needs some space right now.
The silence stretches out, and I start to think she’s not going to say anything, let alone register that I’m sitting here with her.
“There was never any question that I would follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a teacher. I never questioned it because as a child I idolised both of them. They were both intelligent, hard-working, and what I thought were the perfect parents.
“Dad was just a maths teacher when I was a kid. It wasn’t until the year I left that he was promoted to head. Mum was only working part time by then, but she soon gave up. I assumed it was because they didn’t need the money anymore, seeing as they’d moved into a school owned property. I was only to learn a few years later that my dad basically told my mum that she was done.
“I went to university, did my degree and my PGCE. My dad ensured I did my placements either at Earlington or at another local private school of his choice. I was still totally in the dark as to what he was really like. I assumed he just wanted the best experience for me to start my career off properly. I had no idea he was keeping me close, stopping me from seeing how different Earlington could be to other schools that would have alerted me to issues earlier on.
“It was a good school when I was there as a student. As far as I knew, the teachers enjoyed working there, the students were happy, and I never heard of anything untoward aside from the kids usual breaking of the rules.
“Dad ensured that I got a job with him. I didn’t want to work there. I wanted to spread my wings. I also wanted to experience a state school to see what the differences would be. He told me that it would be hard work, that I’d regret it, a million and one excuses that I believed, and eventually I agreed and accepted the post he offered me as a newly qualified English teacher.
