Page 4 of Gifted

Chapter Three

~ Noah ~

I was going to die.

I wouldn’t freeze to death out in this blizzard that battered us as we walked down the walkway to the pub across the street. No, it would be from blue balls while I shared a teeny little room with my off-limits little lamb. Because the thing was, as much as I wanted Poppy, she was my charge. Though she wasn’t directly one of my students, she was a pupil at the school where I taught. Which made her so far off limits, I shouldn’t even think of her.

But I did. And I had since the first time I’d seen her at the school. That had been last year when she’d been a junior. The few times I’d had her in class, when I’d covered for a colleague during my “free” period, had been hell. The kids had loved it, though. I’d been forced to sit, hiding behind the desk, so the students got to do pretty much whatever they wanted for the hour.

I startled when her mittened hand slipped into my fingers, again, this time at her initiation. Surprised, I looked down to where we were clasped. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to touch her, pull her to me and hold me. I wanted that more than anything. But, it astonished me that she had reached for me on her own.

She grinned shyly when my eyes met hers, and she shrugged. “I’m supposed to be your wife. That’s what you said to those people.”

Oh, right. And those guys had gone into the pub where we were headed.

“You’re right…wife. Stick close, okay?”

“Just like we’re happily married. Newlyweds, even.” She bit her lip, and a rosy color filled her pale cheeks. I didn’t think it was from the cold. Suddenly, I wondered if she’d flush when I fucked her.

Which I wouldn’t.

Because I couldn’t.

Even though I wanted to with everything in my soul.

Student. She’s your student.

Not really. But… Fuck. This was going to be the hardest—strike that. Most difficult—few days of my life.

Still, my hand tightened around hers. While we were in this little Scottish town, yeah, she could be my wife. In public. In private… I sure hoped the floor wouldn’t be too hard.

A wall of noise hit us as I opened the door to the pub. If I didn’t miss my guess, the rowdy crew at the center tables were the visitors who’d booked all the rooms at the hotel. This theory was solidified when I saw several other patrons silently giving them judgmental side-eye while they sipped their pints. The little town catered to tourists, even if they didn’t have many accommodations within the limits of the municipality, but perhaps, they expected things to be quieter this close to the actual holiday.

I herded my little lamb to a quiet table in the corner away from the partiers. From what I could tell, they were Texans, all men in their twenties, somewhere in age between Poppy and me. And I didn’t want any of them anywhere near her.

Why they would have chosen a small Scottish town for their holiday was beyond me. I would have thought they were more the hiking in Switzerland type.

Skiing reminded me of my family. I’d have to let my parents know I wouldn’t be making it home for even the post Christmas gathering as planned. Disappointing my dad was probably a damn good thing, since I was a thousand percent sure he planned to pressure me into moving back to Colorado from Connecticut to take my place in the family business.

A loud groan erupted from one of the Texans, and I sussed out he’d lost some bet because a shot was pushed his way. He downed it and sputtered while the others cheered.

“You should probably stay away from them,” I told Poppy. Even if I hadn’t been interested in her, a sheltered eighteen year old shouldn’t be messing with that crowd.

She glanced over at them. “They don’t look dangerous.”

My fingers curled slightly on the scarred tabletop as I stared across it at her, absorbing her profile. I could eat her up. Literally, drop to my knees and…

I shifted, forcing away my inappropriate thoughts while ignoring we’d be sharing a room tonight. “Yeah, well, neither do I.”

Her eyes widened when she snapped her look back at me. “Should I be worried?”

“About me? No, little lamb. You’re perfectly safe with me.”

Her lips quirked, and I saw her sharp intelligence sparking in her eyes. “I bet the Big Bad Wolf said that, too.”

I smirked but didn’t argue either way.

“Hello, loves, what can I get ya?”

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