Letting the door close softly behind him, Peter returned to his wife. The bridal suite was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only with the escaping light from the corridor beneath the doorway, yet still her perfect form was clear. Peter leant back against the door, watching his beautiful bride sleep. Resisting the urge to jump on her was not an easy task yet somehow, for now at least, he managed. There would, as Hayley had implied, be other nights.
Eventually Peter pushed himself away from the door and crossed the room, gently sitting on the edge of the bed, still simply adoring her. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he'd captured her heart and she his. Slowly he began to run his fingers down the side of her face, pushing her hair aside. How could he ever have doubted how much he loved this woman?
Leaning closer to her, Peter softly kissed her forehead and began to stand as if to leave her. Stirring a little beneath his kiss, Carla shifted lightly underneath him. 'Peter?' She mumbled, waking slightly. 'Hey, beautiful.' Peter whispered, sitting back beside her. 'Hey.' Carla mumbled, her eyes flickering, searching for him in the darkness. 'I love you.' Carla mumbled almost inaudibly, her words softly slurred, her eyes closing as she spoke. Peter softly chuckled to himself, 'I love you too, baby.' He whispered even though he suspected that his wife was already asleep again.
As Peter prepared to leave her, he felt her hand searching for his, almost as if she were stopping him from going. Taking her hand within is own, he admired the wedding ring he'd given her merely a few hours ago before curling her fingers around his. With his eyes now flickering over Carla, he ran his thumb across her fingers before bringing her hand to his lips. His eyes never leaving her he placed a soft kiss against her fingers, knowing that even though he would only be a matter of metres away from her he couldn't bear to leave her side yet. Just as, it seemed, she couldn't bear to let him go.
For now Peter remained by her side, contently holding her hand as she slept. He didn't know how long he'd sat with her, simply playing with her fingers, but he didn't care. Her peaceful happiness was infectious, he could've sat with her all night. Lost in his own thoughts, Carla caught him unaware, pulling him with her as she rolled unexpectedly onto her side. Placing his free hand on the edge of the bed, Peter managed to stop himself falling onto her, allowing her to curl up before shuffling himself more comfortably beside her.
Momentarily he considered lying with her but if he didn't leave her now he doubted whether he ever would. Standing from the bed he carefully disentangled his fingers from hers, softly shushing her discontented whimpers. He pushed her hair away from her face, considering the impossible possibility that she didn't realise just how beautiful she was. Leaning close to her once again he left a soft lingering kiss against the edge of her lips before leaving her to fall back to her peaceful slumber.
No more than a few minutes later, Peter slipped into the bed beside Carla. Shuffling towards her he leant on his side, resting on his elbow as he faced her. He contemplated waking her but settled for simply playing with her hair as she slept. The soft curls fell easily through his fingers and for a moment he thought he'd glimpsed a smile flickering its way across her lips. Inquisitively he pushed her hair properly to one side and he found himself gazing into her chocolate brown orbs as she opened her eyes. 'Thought you were asleep.' He whispered, running the side of his finger against the underside of her jawline. 'Woken with a kiss.' Carla giggled, the most awake he'd seen her for a while albeit still a little tipsy.
'Come here, you.' Peter smiled, fighting the contagious nature of her laugh. Laying onto his back he trailed his hand down her arm to find her hand and pulled her towards him. Catching her as she partly climbed but mostly fell on top of him, he met her lips with a passionate kiss which she quickly responded to. Her hands rested on his shoulders, Carla slipped her legs either side of his, playfully trailing her tongue across his bottom lip. Peter obligingly parted his lips for her, running his hands down her sides before resting them against her hips.
Breaking away from his lips Carla shuffled to his side. With one leg still trailed across him she leant on her elbow beside him, her other hand rested on his chest as she gazed at her husband. Peter ran his fingers down the side of her face, pushing her hair behind her shoulder. 'You've got a thing about my hair.' Carla smirked, pushing her finger into his chest. Peter lightly shook his head, curling his hand around her face. 'I've got a thing about you.' He brushed his thumb across her lips before curling his finger beneath her chin, drawing her towards him and meeting her lips with a soft kiss.
Replacing his hand against her hip, he ran his fingers over the lacy edge of her knickers. Carla smiled against his lips, pulling slightly away from him. 'I've got some very good ideas for those, y'know.' She mumbled flirtatiously, running her fingers down his chest as she spoke. 'I bet you do.' Peter whispered, catching the dark glint in her eyes. Dipping her head, Carla kissed the top of his chest but, upon closing her eyes was reluctant to reopen them, opting to simply rest her head against his chest rather than continue her original intentions.
Peter ran his hand through her hair before resting it upon on her shoulder. 'You flaking out on me, love.' He whispered. 'Yeah.' Carla mumbled, snuggling into him, 'You don't mind, d'ya?' He kissed her forehead, 'Course not. You ok?' He whispered, gazing down at her. 'Yeah.' Carla mumbled, her eyes briefly meeting his before she closed them again. Peter smiled adoringly at her, his fingers caressing the soft skin of her shoulder as he held her close.
Unfortunately for Carla, whilst it was she who slept in his arms it was Tina who also occupied his thoughts. With his chin resting against the top of his wife's head, he remembered the kiss of the much younger woman, so different to the kiss of his wife. In his mind Peter began to play the unforgivable game, drawing a list of comparisons between them. His wife, the dominant woman with a vulnerable edge that only he saw. The young girl, rebounding and alone. Tina, youthful and seemingly innocent, with nothing to loose and everything to gain. Carla, riddled with demons he'd fought to free her of, who trusted him unconditionally with her life and heart.
An undeniably pretty girl, Tina had turned his head. She was everything he imagined Carla had been in the years before he'd met her, feisty and outspoken yet sympathetic and caring. Nonetheless his attraction to Tina was more than her being a younger version of Carla as he'd first believed it to be. She got beneath his skin, her temptation like a disease he couldn't be free of. She'd caught him out when he'd least expected her to, almost leading him towards the point of no return.
Now, however, he knew the cure to her temptation. Carla, his wife, his lover and best friend. His beautiful bride, whose relief upon seeing him waiting at the altar hadn't gone unnoticed. The image of perfection, tormented still by demons, yet who felt safe with him regardless of the pain she'd suffered. She was the woman he'd risked everything to save. Hurting her was simply not an option.