Edward put a hand on his shoulder.
“Peter didn’t kidnap me,” Rose said. She stood in the doorway with bed-matted blonde hair. He stared at her, struck by how beautiful she looked. Every time he saw her, Peter was always stopped by her kindness. She had the most intense blue eyes he’d ever seen.
“Rose?” Gabriel asked.
“My family were starving me. I don’t want to go back there. I can’t.”
“Your parents are demanding your return,” Gabriel said.
Peter watched her shake her head. “No, Brad is demanding my return. Not my parents. They don’t give a shit about me. I’m not going back.”
He saw the determination in her eyes.
“I’m nineteen. This should be my choice, no one else’s.” She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Rose looked so young. The setting sun cast a glow over her. The night shirt she was wearing came to above her knees. Her large br**sts were pressed against the night shirt, showing hard erect ni**les.
Removing his jacket, Peter wrapped it around her shoulders covering her up. Edward cleared his throat turning away. The other men didn’t show any signs of noticing. They all had their own women to deal with.
“I’ll vouch for Rose. She can work behind the bar at Control to show her independence if that’s what you need,” William said.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Peter pulled her close. She went lax under his touch. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself the pleasure her nearness let him have.
“I’ll tell them you’re safe and you haven’t been kidnapped. Is there any chance you’ll want to talk to them yourself?” Gabriel asked.
“No, I don’t want to talk to them or have anything to do with them.”
Gabriel asked her a few more questions. Peter caressed her stomach, trying his best to offer her the support she needed.
“Go on into the kitchen. I’ll cook you something. I’m going to say bye to my friends.”
Rose nodded, leaving him alone to deal with their wrath.
“I know, I know. I f**ked up,” Peter said, staring at William.
“I don’t think you f**ked up. None of us know how we’re going to respond when we’re pushed into such a situation. I can see Rose is a submissive, but she’s young, Peter. I need you to understand that,” William said.
Gabriel and William shook his hand on the way out of the door. Paul and David Steer had been quiet during the whole process. “Call us if you need us,” Paul said.
“You’re planning on moving away, aren’t you?” Peter asked.
“We have no choice. The town refuses to change. It’s getting worse, and I’m not about to raise a family in a town that won’t get better,” Paul answered, shaking his hand. “We’ll be around some time yet.”
Peter nodded seeing them all out until only Edward remained.
“Take care of her, mate. She looks like she’s been hurt one time too many,” Edward said.
“I will.”
His friend glanced over his shoulder but then left. Frowning, Peter watched them all go.
Turning back into his home, he headed for the kitchen. Rose was sat down waiting.
“They’re all your friends. The outcasts you talk about?” she asked.
“Yeah, your family have reported that you’ve been kidnapped.”
She handed his jacket back to him. “I didn’t think of putting anything on. I’m not used to men staring at me like that.”
“You’re a desirable woman, Rose. Men are going to want to look at you.”
Rose shook her head. “I don’t see that, but thank you for saying it anyway.”
Taking her hand in his, Peter caught her chin in his other hand. “I’m not lying to you, Rose. I’m not trying to make you feel better. I’m telling you the truth. I mean what I say.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to it.”
He dropped her hands and removed his hand from her face, but he didn’t leave. Peter couldn’t move away from her.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Stand up.” Peter found himself ordering her without meaning to. He went to open his mouth to speak. The words he was looking for were held back.
She stood up. Her head tilted back looking up at him.
“Are you okay, Peter?”
He didn’t feel okay. Staring down into her beautiful face all he wanted to do was lift her in his arms and carry her up to bed. “Did you want Brad touching you? Being with you?”
“No, I can’t stand him. He makes my skin crawl.”
Reaching out, he pushed some of her hair off her face, stroking her cheek with his knuckles.
“What about me?” he asked. “Did you like my kiss?”
She nodded. “Yes, I loved your kiss. I like it when you touch me.”
He tilted her head back and leaned forward. “Do you want me to kiss you now?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her voice was so soft like a whisper.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
****
Was this really happening? Rose watched his head move, and seconds later his mouth was on hers. At first the caress of his lips was light, and then something changed. His hands sank into her hair, fisting the strands. Her ni**les hardened, and her pu**y grew wet with need. She ached all over, and a fire was burning bright.
The kiss Peter had given her in the library had been the only thing to keep her stable throughout it all. She was weak where it came to him, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He tilted her head back, exposing her neck, and he plunged his tongue inside her mouth.
She moaned, meeting his tongue with her own. Her heart pounded inside her chest so hard that she thought it was going to crash out of her chest.
He pressed her against the kitchen counter, holding her in place with his hands in her hair. Rose met his strokes and wished she knew what she was doing.
“Please,” she said, moaning. Peter broke the contact to press kisses down her neck. He sucked on her exposed neck. The night shirt she wore was too big and had fallen down one arm.
“You’re so f**king beautiful,” he said.
She’d never thought herself as beautiful before. In Peter’s arms, she felt it.
“Peter.” His name came out as a groan. Nibbling her lip she gasped when he pushed her nightshirt down exposing one of her br**sts.
Refusing him was out of the question. She was so turned on, and she would do everything he asked.
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he said.