MOVING ON(16)

Edward sat back on the bench looking mighty smug.

“What the fuck 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.

“What are you doing?” Peter wasn’t in the mood to be controlled.

“I’m saving you from making a mistake. Alcohol, even in an experienced Dom, can change our focus. You’re not getting drunk on my watch.” Edward held up the bottled watered and motioned for two.

“Nothing is going to happen between Rose and me,” Peter said, grumbling. He never drank to numb the pain. There was a time he’d hoped something would numb it, but only hard work and determination kept Laura out of his thoughts. Even though, thinking over the last few months, he’d not been constantly plagued by Laura. She wasn’t the first person he thought about, and ever since he’d met Rose, Laura had been the last thing on his mind, if she entered it at all.

“That girl is in love with you, Peter. I saw it in her eyes.”

“You got hard for her,” Peter said.

Edward shook his head. “She’s a beautiful, full, ripe woman. A single man would be crazy not to get hard for her, but her eyes were on you, Peter. You’re the only person she wanted.”

Peter took the bottled water from the waitress and thanked her. She lingered a little, but he refused to give her anything in return. He didn’t play with the waiting staff or any of the staff at William’s club. Peter thought about Rose. How was he going to keep his distance if she was working at the club?

“You can’t deny you don’t have feelings for her,” Edward said, drawing him back into a conversation.

“And why can’t I?”

“If you didn’t have feelings for her, Peter, you wouldn’t have taken her away from her parents. You’ve got feelings for her. You’re just trying to hide from them.”

He hated the fact his friend was right. Edward shouldn’t be right about shit like this.

Sipping down the cold water Peter wondered what he was going to do. He couldn’t stand the thought of setting her up alone elsewhere. The last couple of days of not seeing her had driven him crazy. Rose had become part of his life. The library became his one piece of heaven because he was close to her. When that was taken away from him, he’d been lost.

“Rose is a virgin. She’s never been with another man before.”

Edward nodded. “I saw that. Innocence clings to women, and I can spot them miles away. Rose didn’t have to open her mouth before I saw it. She doesn’t see herself as desirable either. Coming downstairs in that shirt revealed so much about her, Peter. She needs a good Dom and a good man.”

“She’s too young to know what she wants.”

“Yet you settled for being in love with Laura from a young age. You went after her in college, but I recall you saying you felt for her in high school, right? That would put you at eighteen,” Edward said, arguing. “Besides, you don’t need to tie her up and spank her to be a Dom. You can wait for all that. I know you don’t crave it, Peter. You’re an experienced Dom, but it’s not something you need to keep yourself grounded. There is so much more to you than you realise.”

Peter took a long pull on the bottle. He really wished it was whisky. “Have you ever been with a virgin?”

“Yes, I’ve had two virgins in my life.”

Licking his lips, Peter felt embarrassed to be asking such questions. “How do you treat them?”

Edward chuckled. “You start out treating them like bone china. You make sure they know your desire, but you keep it locked away. Never frighten them and always show them how to take care of their bodies. Women have the right to know what to do with themselves more than anything.”

Peter listened. He really wanted to make it work with Rose. He couldn’t give her his heart, but he could give her a life with him.

“The first time will always be painful. There’s nothing you can do to ease it. Ride the wave, listen to their bodies, and then let everything else come naturally.” Edward grabbed his hand. “You’re a natural, and you care for Rose. You don’t need instructions on how to care for her.”

Nodding, Peter threw down a bill and turned to leave. “Thank you for discussing this with me.”