“You don’t think he’s cheating, do you?”
“No! I don’t know… Shit. No, I just… I got the impression that there was more to it. That maybe she—Candice—wanted Ty. Or more. Maybe they used to share women too? I don’t know. I’m probably imagining things. She was just very… Full of herself. Perhaps they…” She shook her head. “Nothing. It was nothing.”
“Oh, shit, Leah. I’m going to assume you haven’t told him about Kyle then?”
“Not everything. Bits and pieces.”
“You need to tell him. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Yvonne arched an eyebrow. “Leah, sweetie, you are either into that lifestyle or you’re not. I get that he’s teaching you all sorts of new things, introducing you to exciting experiences…” Her eyes widened, emphasizing her words. “But getting other people involved is not something you need.” She reached over the table and grabbed Leah’s hands. “He promised you that what he and Jerry used to get up to was in the past. He promised that it would just be the two of you.”
“He’s not breaking promises—”
“That’s exactly what he’s doing if he’s trying to get other people involved.” She let go and fell back into her chair. “Talk to him. Tell him about Kyle. If he really loves you, he’ll understand.”
“He’s not trying to do anything like that,” Leah argued. “It’s all in my head, I know it is. It’s just all so intense, and maybe it’s bringing things back. You know, Kyle and stuff…” She trailed her sentence as her thoughts tumbled around. She didn’t really know what had gone on between Ty and Candice. They’d had a heated discussion, and left abruptly. It could have been anything and nothing.
“You have to tell him,” Yvonne said again. “You have to be honest with him. Even if it is all in your head, it’s there for a reason.”
She knew Yvonne was right.
“I’ll talk to him. Tonight,” she promised.
* * * *
“You’re very quiet,” Ty said around a mouthful of spaghetti. Leah picked up a slice of garlic bread and began to pull it apart. He gave her a concerned look. “Should I be worried?”
Leah popped a piece of bread into her mouth and chewed—anything to avoid talking to him. He waited until she swallowed and urged her to speak. She closed her eyes, remembering her promise to Yvonne.
“I need to be honest with you.”
“That’s all I want—”
“About my past. Specifically my ex, Kyle. You know he wasn’t a particularly nice person, but I didn’t tell you everything.”
“Whatever it is, just spit it out.”
“He…” She wasn’t sure how to say it. Words stuck to her tongue like toffee, molding around her teeth and gluing her mouth shut. “He was into the same sort of stuff as you.” It was the only way she could explain it. “He liked it a certain way. But we didn’t have a safe word. It was his way or no way. And he liked other people involved, but that wasn’t something I was willing to try.” She looked up at him. “So when Kyle started making those suggestions…” It was difficult to gage his reaction. His stony expression remained steadfast, his grip on his fork no tighter than it had been before. “When I said no, he started cheating on me. We fell apart and I left him. Then when I moved out, he started to follow me around. He’d send me texts and emails demanding I go back to him. He even turned up at the school I worked in, and started harassing me when I was out with friends. That’s why I came down here.”
Ty put his fork down and pushed his plate forward. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I tried. But it’s not easy, admitting that I’m some pathetic prude compared to you.”
“You’re not.” He shook his head fiercely. “You’re anything but. You should have said something before now. I would never have put any of that pressure on you to do anything you don’t want. Jeez, what you must think of me, of all men!”
Leah stood up and started to clear the table.
“Leave that,” he said, but she ignored him, scraping the plates into the bin before putting them in the dishwasher. Ty stood up. “I said leave it.” He took her hands in his, tugging her closer to him, forcing her to look at him. “I am so, so sorry.” Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped away a single, solitary tear that spilled from the corner of her eye. “No wonder you’ve been quiet these past few days.” He wrapped his arms around her and she soaked in the warmth that penetrated his T-shirt.
She relaxed into him, pressing her cheek into his chest, nuzzling under his chin. Embracing him, she felt the weight lift off her shoulders and dissolve into the air. Leah closed her eyes. It would have been perfect had the front door not been thrown open at that exact moment.
Chapter Thirty-Six
A heavy thud echoed down the hall into the kitchen, startling them both. Ty released his hold on Leah and marched to the front door. Leah stayed in the kitchen. She didn’t have to strain to hear the conversation that ensued.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” It was Ty’s voice that boomed around the house, followed by a crash. The sound of glass or pottery shattering made Leah jump and she started to tread carefully to the door. She peered around the frame to see Ty, every muscle taut, as he thrust his arm forward. “Calm the fuck down!” he yelled. Leah took another step forward. His hand was gripping at the neckline of Jerry’s T-shirt, holding him against the wall.
“This is entirely your fault,” Jerry spat, turning to face Leah. “And that little bitch’s. If she hadn’t moved in, none of this would have happened.”
Ty slammed him into the wall again. “No. This is your fault. Nobody screwed your life up. Take some fucking responsibility.”
Leah grabbed the phone.
“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Jerry laughed. “Call the police. Let them come to your rescue again.” He faced Ty. “Three months ago you would never have let a woman come between us.” He stabbed a finger into Ty’s chest. Ty responded, slamming him into the wall once more. A picture fell from its place, landing on the floor with a clatter, the frame splintering.
“Call Craig,” Ty said to Leah.
Leah nodded, retreating into the kitchen. She grabbed Ty’s phone from the kitchen sideboard and scrolled for the number, waiting for it to ring.
“H-hi,” she stuttered. “It’s Leah Beauchamp. You need to come over to Ty’s. Now. It’s Jerry. He’s gone berserk!” She stabbed the red phone icon and put it back on the counter before creeping back to the hallway.
Ty dropped Jerry to the floor. “This is your only chance to get out.” His voice was cool and calm, with no hint of aggression. “I would suggest you take it.”
“You’re a fucking pussy.”
“And you’re just fucked. You need help.”
Jerry leaped at Ty. Both men crashed into the stairs, with Jerry landing on top. Fists clenched, he pummeled Ty’s face, ribs and arms. Leah squeezed her eyes shut, hiding in the kitchen. She listened to the sounds of the fight bounce off the walls.
One yelling at the other. Bone smashing into bone. Grunts as a fist, elbow, or knee found its spot. She took the phone from its receiver and dialed nine-nine-nine. She didn’t care about the consequences. She cared about Ty.
Pain shot through Ty’s fingers as he gripped Jerry’s T-shirt, holding him steady and in place. “Calm. The fuck. Down!” he shouted, using his knees to pin Jerry’s legs down and his free arm to grip his wrists above his head. Adrenaline surged through his veins, giving him a strength he’d never felt before. He lifted Jerry off the ground before dropping his head to the carpet. “What did you take?”
Jerry’s eyes were wild and frightening, black pupils dilated until they almost filled his irises. He struggled beneath Ty, a knee wriggling free and connecting with Ty’s crotch. He felt it in his belly, the instant swell and heat searing over his groin, but he had to stay in control. If he loosened his grip… It didn’t bear thinking about.
“Where is Craig?” he asked himself, tightening his
hand around Jerry’s thick wrists above his head.
Sirens blared.
Someone grabbed his arms, yanking them behind his back, hauling him off Jerry’s body.
He looked toward the kitchen and saw her. Leah’s face, filled with fear. She was shouting something, but all he could hear was the sound of his own blood as it pumped through his ears. The hall became a blur of faces and dark uniforms.
“Ty?” He heard the voice but couldn’t place it. “Ty? Shit. Are you okay? Ty? Can you hear me?”
“Yeah.” Ty shook his head. Something warm and sticky streaked his brow, dripping down the side of his nose. “Bollocks.” He wiped his hand across his forehead and examined the dark red marks that came away. He looked up and blinked at Craig. “Thanks for coming.”
“I brought backup. Leah sounded scared.”
“Where is she?”
“In the kitchen with one of the policewomen, having a prescribed cup of tea.”
They both looked at Jerry.
“What’s going to happen to him now?” Ty asked.
Craig shrugged, helping him to stand. “That’s up to him. We can’t keep giving him chance after chance. If he wants to screw his life up, then I’m not going to stop him. Not anymore. You were right. We both have our own lives, and they are far more important than him. I’m sorry that I put pressure on you like that. I will make sure that you’re cleared of any charges, and I’ll talk to Candice.” He glanced at the kitchen. Leah was stood in the doorway, clutching a mug with steam dancing out of the top. He looked back at Ty. “Don’t screw it up.”
“I won’t.”
* * * *
Leah kicked an upturned box. Whatever was in it was well and truly shattered. She knelt down and started to pick up bits of broken lampshade and fractured picture frames, placing individual pieces into a plastic tub.
She hissed a breath as an invisible shard sliced her thumb. Putting the bleeding digit to her lips, she sucked at the wound, swallowing the metallic droplets down. Ty took her hand in his, pulling it from her mouth and placing it against his lips, kissing it better. Leah smiled.
“Let me do this,” he offered, picking up a dustpan and brush and sweeping away the debris. Leah stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the damage. “It’s only stuff,” he assured her. “Anyway, if you’re moving in with me, we should probably make this our place rather than mine. We can go shopping tomorrow. What do you want to get first?”
“A TV?” She chuckled.
“Deal.”
She walked to one of the boxes and ripped the tape off the top, pulling out the first few books. “I’ve got to go into school today,” she said. “Planning meeting. Hilary will be there.”
Ty straightened himself, his green eyes questioning her.
“What do you want to do?” she asked. “I’ll have to change my contact details, and she’s going to know that I’ve moved in with you.”
“So let her. She’s my aunt, not my mother.”
“And when am I going to meet your parents?” she asked. “If we’re getting married, it’s only right I should get to know all of your family.”
“I could ask the same.”
“Hmm… We could go up to mine for Christmas?”
“Why don’t we just take one day at a time?”
“Deal.” She grinned, leaning forward to kiss him. “I’m going to have a shower and get dressed.”
“I’ll drive you over. I should probably make sure everything’s ready for when the hordes descend anyway.”
Leah made her way up the stairs, stopping halfway up to peer over and gaze at him. Satisfaction, pride and tranquility washed over her. She felt at home.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The bell rang, echoing throughout the school. Leah watched as her new Year Sevens hovered around, not knowing what to do. Their innocence and confusion made her smile.
“Go on,” she encouraged. “Break time.”
One by one they traipsed out of the classroom, disappearing into the masses, flowing down the stream of students that led to the fields.
Leah leaned back into her chair, folding her arms behind her head, stretching out every aching muscle. She smiled as Rainie popped her head around the doorframe and entered the room. She looked amazing, dressed in loose-fitting dark cargo trousers matched with a flowing cream blouse and chunky jewelry. Her hair had been dyed honey-blonde and cut and layered into a choppy bob. Yvonne had certainly worked her magic.
“Happy to be back?” she asked, beaming as she did a twirl to show off the new her.
“You look fantastic.” Leah grinned.
“I’ve lost four pounds this week. Von’s got me on a strict diet and exercise regime. Zumba, Pilates, running and spinning. I’m knackered, but I’ve never felt so great! I bumped into Lance yesterday. He didn’t recognize me, it was so hilarious.” She paused for a moment. “He told me what happened at the house. That Jerry attacked you. Or tried to. You okay? How’s Ty?”
“We’re fine.”
“No engagement ring yet then?”
“No.” Leah laughed.
“How’d Mrs. Davis take the news?”
Leah shrugged. “She hasn’t fired either of us.”
“I’m going to get a coffee, do you want one?”
“I’ll be over in a minute. I didn’t do any planning last week, so I need to get up to speed or I might well be unemployed before half-term.”
“Summer holidays not been very productive?” she asked with a knowing wink.
“Oh, they’ve been educational!”
Rainie laughed. “Okay then. I’ll see you later.” She waved and almost skipped out of the room. Leah shook her head with a smile. She was glad that Rainie and Yvonne were getting on so well, and happy that Rainie had found herself.
She stretched out before running her finger over the mouse pad of her laptop, waking the screen up from its dark slumber. Next period was a group of Year Tens, her most hated year. Too adult to be classed as children, not adult enough to be taking major exams or getting a job, they would spend the first term testing how far they could push her, reminding themselves of how soft or strict she was, and the last term without an ounce of care. She scanned the screen checking the names—there were only two that she didn’t recognize. One boy and one girl, easy enough to pick out among a sea of spots, not so subtle makeup and hormones.
Her breath caught when he walked through the door. It always did. He leaned against the doorframe, reaching up to the lintel. His T-shirt stretched over the ripple of muscle that it wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding.
“Miss Beauchamp,” he said, his voice as hot as his body. “What have you broken today?”
She pointed across the classroom toward the old TV and DVD unit. “I want to show a film this afternoon, and I can’t figure out how to plug the damn thing in.” She grinned.
Ty tutted and walked across the room, twisting the unit around and bending over to examine the boxes. Leah cocked her head to one side, drinking him in.
He looked over his shoulder and smirked. “Miss Beauchamp, I’m pretty sure I could sue you for sexual harassment.”
“Perhaps I’ll let you punish me later,” she said, placing a Biro between her lips and chewing on the plastic end.
They’d decided to wait before marriage and kids. For now, she was content with watching his beautifully toned ass being caressed by worn jeans while he fixed whatever it was that she’d broken that day.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Sassy with Sir: Scoring with Sir
Judy Jarvie
Excerpt
Chapter One
“Dis me and you’re roadkill.”
“You and whose skankwad army, loserboy?”
It’s a gray Monday morning and I can’t miss the yelled swearing across the school car park. My iPhone’s Bruno Mars megamix can’t sweeten the F-bomb napalm by the third years at the tennis courts. I long to flee but I still have hours of tea
ching torture ahead.
Today will herald a watershed in my life. Because I—Izzy Tennant, English teacher at Netherfield Secondary School in Barnet, North London—have a secret. Over the years, I’ve hidden the real me behind the mask of an oh-so-nice and proper English teacher. But at heart I have dark, private appetites. I may teach the classics of literature to kids that don’t give a stuff by day, but at night I’m an insatiable erotica-holic.
Little do I realize that my fantasies are about to ignite with a man who can liberate these passions.
This is the story of my journey.
With he who must be called Sir.
* * * *
If David Attenborough studied chavvy North London school kids, instead of mating penguins ice-bonking for hours, he’d explain the brawling teenager ritual. I’ve consumed insufficient coffee to try. I beeline for the school’s back door but the yelling mob turns and charges straight toward me.
“Is it true, Miss Tennant?” asks Darren Blackwater. He has the name and look of a repugnantly splendid extra in Game of Thrones. One you hope will get impaled before the ad break. From what his mother said at open day he’s no stranger to sticky ends—he gets a little too much solo bedroom exercise and I don’t mean kickboxing his punch-bag.
“Tell us,” Eddie Childs butts in. “They’re sayin’ ’es comin’ ’ere? We’re askin’ you cos, for a woman and a teacher, you know most about football.”
I yank out my iPhone earbuds, succeeding in thwacking myself in the teeth. I remember not to swear but shouldn’t bother—none of the pupils pay me such regard.
“I’ve nothing to impart. And no time at present, boys.”
But Darren, Small Lord of the Blackwater and perpetrator of much school evil, is not mollified. “Ethan’s brother said we’re gettin’ a new PE teacher and ’e’s famous. Tell us if it’s true, miss.”
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