“Please, don’t stop.” She lifted her hands up touching his arms. In all the time they’d known each other they’d never really been together intimately. She couldn’t recall really touching him.
“This isn’t right,” he said. Peter still held her arms, and her breast was still exposed. His gaze went from her breast to her eyes then back again. She saw the fight he was having.
“This is so right. I’m not afraid with you, Peter. Please, I want you to be my first,” she said.
The instant the words left her lips, Rose felt him withdraw from her. She cursed her own stupidity as he looked at her. He drew her nightshirt back up, gave her one last lingering kiss, and backed away.
He didn’t say a word as he made her a sandwich. She ate in silence aware of his emotional and physical withdrawal.
“I need to go to the club for an hour. Will you be okay by yourself?” he asked.
She wanted to ask why. Less than a couple of hours ago he’d told her he wouldn’t leave her.
“No problem.”
He gave her a card with several numbers on. “Here is where you can reach us all. Don’t answer the door to anyone. If something happens and you’re scared, call me and I’ll be here.”
Peter hesitated, and all she wanted to do was go back to what they were doing. Instead, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite, not tasting anything. He left a few minutes later. Closing her eyes, she wished there was something she could do to have stopped him. Finished with her sandwich she started to clear away the dishes. She stood at the kitchen sink, washing the plates and putting away the stuff he’d taken from the fridge. Her heart ached for what she couldn’t have.
The town loved to talk about the outcasts, and she’d heard a lot of rumours about him. She knew he was a Dom and what a Dom was. They’d also been a lot of talk about his feelings for Dean’s wife. She’d seen Laura Riley around town, and Laura was a beautiful woman.
The sound of the back door unlocking made Rose pause in her tracks. It was like she’d imagined her into appearance. Laura Riley stood removing her coat. “Peter, I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t come here.”
Clearing her throat, Rose gained the other woman’s attention. “I’m sorry, but he’s not here.”
Laura’s gaze turned to her.
“What?”
“He’s left to go to the club. You’ve just missed him.” Rose turned the tap off. She saw why Peter loved the other woman. There was no way she could compete with Laura.
“I know I should have called, but he’s been avoiding me.” Laura moved forward, offering a hand. “I’m Laura Riley.”
“Rose Slater.” She shook her hand. Rose wished she could find fault with the other woman, but there was nothing there. Laura looked happy to see her. Her gaze went up and down Rose’s body. Glancing down, Rose remembered she was in a nightshirt. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry. If you’re why Peter’s been avoiding me then I’m happy.”
She shook her head. “I’m not the reason why.”
“I don’t understand,” Laura said. “If you’re not here because of Peter then why are you?”
Heat rose in her cheeks. Rose didn’t know how to explain.
“He’s helping me out of a tricky situation. Nothing is going on with me or with Peter. He doesn’t see me that way.”
She thought about his kiss and his instant withdrawal from her. This woman was why Peter didn’t start anything with anyone else. He was totally in love with Laura Riley. Any hope she had at having a chance with Peter vanished. She saw the affection Laura had for Peter, and they’d been friends for a long time. There was no way for her to fight for a small piece of his heart.
“Well, how did you two meet?” Laura asked, keeping the subject on Peter but changing it slightly.
“We met at the library. I work there. I mean I used to work there.”
Laura smiled. “I remember working in the library. He always sat in the historical section. It was always quiet.”
Rose’s heart broke. Rose had thought he sat there to get some quiet time away from the rest of the library but to also talk to her. He’d probably been in the library hoping to relive memories of his time with Laura.
“Yeah, I forgot about that.” Rose smiled, wishing the pain would swallow her up. She’d been falling for a guy she had no chance with. The more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to handle.
“Come on, tell me some more,” Laura said.
Not wanting to send her away, Rose sat down and talked with the older woman. She answered all her questions, and each time Laura said something, Rose felt her heart break a little more. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to survive the rest of the night.
Chapter Six
Peter shouldn’t have left her. He sat in one of the private booths watching as Edward worked over a sub’s ass. The older man knew what he was doing with the leather-bound whip, and all Peter could do was admire his skill. His c**k wasn’t rock hard for anything other than the little blonde back at his home.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Not only shouldn’t he have kissed her but he also shouldn’t have exposed her glorious full tit for him to see. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about her tits and how they’d taste in his mouth. Downing down the shot of whisky, he relished the burn it made him feel.
The sounds of male and female moans filtered through the air. None of them would sound like Rose when she came. He’d been so close to spreading her out on the counter and feasting from her body. Instead, he’d backed away. Rose was a f**king virgin. He’d never taken a virgin before in all of his life. The subs that came to him had experience. They knew the score and didn’t expect anything from him. Rose hadn’t even been taken by a man, and he doubted she’d experienced an orgasm.
Edward sat back on the bench looking mighty smug.
“What the f**k are you smiling at?” Peter asked.
“Well, mate, I just saw a woman completely lose it, go into sub space, and I helped bring her down. I’ll be taking her to bed tonight, to make sure she doesn’t fall from her high. I’m all in good spirits. What are you doing here when you’ve got a pretty blonde waiting for you at home?” Edward asked, turning the questions on him.
“The blonde is not mine.” Peter motioned to the waitress for a refill. Edward covered the glass, shaking his head.