“I love Christmas. I never put a tree up here, and I’ve always visited Laura and the kids on Christmas.”
She took a sandwich from the pile. Peter saw her hesitate at his words.
“I was thinking this year we could make our own traditions?” he asked.
“I’d like that.” She nibbled at her sandwich. “Do you think William still wants a waitress at his club?”
“Yeah, he’ll want you all right.” Peter took a bite of his sandwich. “Business doesn’t slow down because of what’s happened. It’s sad, but it’s the harsh reality of life.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen to Cape Falls.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. If it doesn’t change, it’s going to lose a lot of people. Everyone is growing tired. Staying rooted in the past is not ideal for everyone. It sucks.”
Peter had been part of Cape Falls all of his life. He’d taken several trips out to the city to get a sense of how different they were. The cities moved around, constantly. There was no standing still in the city. Peter liked to take his time to enjoy life. Living in the city would never do it for him. He’d also visited a few other towns, getting a feel for how they were. Most of the towns he’d visited worked together. There were no outsiders in those towns.
He sat back on his sofa wondering what would have happened to him if he’d left when he was going to.
“Have you ever been out of Cape Falls?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Parents didn’t ever want to leave.”
“I think we should go away some time. There’s another town not too far from here. Law Castle, it’s called.”
“It sounds like fun. You’re not planning on dumping me there, are you?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Not on your life.”
They sat on the sofa, in his room, eating the sandwiches he’d made. He watched her eating and enjoying the food he’d put out for her.
“You’re a good cook,” she said.
“Laura taught me.”
There was a flash of hurt in her eyes, and Peter regretted the words. Putting the nearly empty plate onto the floor, he tugged Rose onto his lap. He was wearing a robe, and so was she. The robe didn’t disguise her full, lush curves.
“I shouldn’t be upset about it. I’m sorry,” she said.
She didn’t fight him as he got her to straddle his waist.
“Laura played a big part in my life. Yes, I started out being in love with her, and I’m not going to apologise for that, Rose. She taught me a lot of things.”
“Like what? Help me to understand how she helped you become the man you are.”
Settling his hands on her ass, Peter smiled, thinking over the last ten years with Laura in his life.
“She taught me how to pass tests without cheating, and because of that, I was able to work at Control. William has his own rigorous test for passing his standards in order to train and punish subs. Laura taught me how to sew. I couldn’t put a button on my shirt, and I kept going to her to do it. I wasn’t using excuses to see her. I needed to sew my button back on.”
“I can sew buttons,” Rose said, making him smile.
“Would you be offended if I asked you to do mine?”
She shook her head.
“Good, I may be able to do it to make a button look passable, but that’s all I can do.”
Rose chuckled, encouraging him to continue on.
He talked about learning to cook and to grow a few vegetables in the back of his garden, all because of Laura. “Laura taught me to be a better man, Rose. Without her I wouldn’t be who I am today. There’s no need to get jealous of her. I’m yours, and nothing is going to change that.”
“You’re mine?” she asked, pressing a palm to his robe covered chest.
“Yes, and you’re mine.”
“Laura’s a good woman. She got you all to herself for a long time. I can’t help but be jealous of that. She’ll know you in ways I’ll never understand.” She toyed with the edge of his robe.
“Yet you’ll know me in ways Laura will never know. What we’ve got going for us is special, Rose. I don’t want to ruin that, ever.”
“Me either.”
“Then don’t let the past come between us.” He searched for the sash of her robe, pushing it off her shoulders.
“You’ve got a one-track mind.”
“Only around you.”
Peter laughed when she lifted a foiled packet from the pocket of her robe.
“You’re a bad girl,” he said.
“Last time you forgot. I didn’t want you to forget this time. It’s kind of important. We’re not ready for a baby,” she said, pressing the latex in his palm.