Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Only one person in my life showed me love. Then out of nowhere an amazing guy suddenly showed an interest in me, and I lapped it up like a puppy dog after a bone. I was pathetic.
Peter had given me a taste of something I’d been trying to bury deep. He’d given me a taste of love. He’d made me feel wanted, cared for, needed, and that hurt more than rejection, especially now. Because it had all been a lie.
I felt like I was losing my mind. I certainly was losing my senses, but then, all too soon, Peter’s there, and he slid his hands beneath mine and cupped my face.
“No,” he said. “I’m not going to stop.”
He slammed us both against the wall and tilted my head back. I didn’t get time to ask him what he was doing before his lips were on mine. He kissed me hard.
He’d not kissed me since that day at the picnic. The picnic—it already felt like a lifetime ago.
All sense of reasoning left my mind as he kissed me. I knew I should fight him, tell him to let me go, tell him to fuck off. But in the craziness of our world right now, this felt like the only thing that was right.
I could make sense of this.
I knew what he wanted.
I knew who I was.
I belonged to Peter.
The only problem was, this wasn’t the Peter I wanted.
****
Peter
Ivan had told me it was now my time to take care of her. I had no problem doing that, because in the last month I had gotten a clear picture of who Niamh Byrne was.
She was scared. Lost. Alone. And I knew for a fact she was unwanted. At least, that was what she thought.
Ivan had sent me to collect her, to knock her up. She’d been a job, but when it came down to the final act, I’d never wanted to do anything more than I did with her. I wasn’t acting with Niamh. I wasn’t faking it. The moment I touched her, I wanted her.
Even now as I tried to handle her emotions, I took possession of her lips, kissed her, and had no intention of doing anything more tonight, even though I wanted to. I wanted to break this fucking void between us, which I knew would happen the moment she found out the truth.
Ivan was just too fucking stubborn to accept that this kind of shit was going to happen regardless of what he did.
It was a fucked-up mess with Niamh and me. That I could accept, but I refused to give up on her.
Breaking the kiss, I stared down into her tear-stained face. Some of her makeup had started to smudge. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt her. Stroking her cheek, I couldn’t look away. I needed to take care of her.
As I reached for her hand, Niamh didn’t fight me, which I was thankful for. I’d still fight her if I had to.
I walked with her through to our en-suite bathroom, and I didn’t say a word. Ivan loved his creature comforts, so the weddings were always luxurious. I didn’t know if this was his way of trying to win women over, or just because he liked to show off his power and influence.
There were many rumors, some true. I was aware that Ivan had spent a lot of time on the streets after being rejected by his father. He had to learn to survive. I believe he lived with Slavik, as well as a woman. I feel her name was Cara, who would later betray him.
I also believed this was Ivan’s way of giving the women he was taking under his wing, the perfect day. The perfect wedding. I didn’t know why it mattered to him. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Victor’s face when it came time to his wedding.
Letting go of Niamh, I stepped toward the shower and switched it on. I tested the water to make sure it was at the right temperature, and then I turned toward Niamh. Tears fell down her face, and she wasn’t making a sound. I saw her heartache. There was no room for words.
I walked behind her and reached for the zipper of her dress. The seamstress had complained about this dress. When Niamh first tried it on, it had fit like a dream. Niamh had lost too much weight in the past months, and they had to quickly pin and tuck it all in to fit.
With the zipper released, the dress fell to Niamh’s hips. I stepped close, and with her unable to see me, I couldn’t resist leaning in and sniffing her hair. She smelled so good. Like vanilla and honey. I’d missed being this close to her.
Pushing the dress past her hips, she wore a white padded bra and a thong that was not helping the state of my dick.