Chapter 8
Phoebe and Peter arrived at Peter's cabin by mid-afternoon. They'd left Beacon Hills easily, though Peter had deliberately driven the speed limit so as not to attract unwanted attention. He unloaded the car as Phoebe looked around, and then they both unpacked before heading into the small nearby town to stock up on a little food they would need for the weekend.
At the store, Peter opened Phoebe's door for her, and walked closely to her, separating only to hold the door for her. At first, neither noticed the looks they were getting from the small-town residents, especially those who must be the local gossips. Soon, however, it became obvious that they were the topic of some discussion.
Peter was looking through the selection of fresh meat when he heard one of the ladies speculating about how he might put his muscles to use in an intimate scenario. He smirked, but ignored her. It was not, and would not ever be any of her business, especially if he could get Phoebe to agree to a Mate Bond.
Phoebe was picking out some produce for the meal Peter wanted to cook that evening when she heard the tail end of a comment. "...much too old for her. She can't possibly know what to do with a man of that kind of experience."
Phoebe almost laughed. It was true that Peter was ten years older than her, and he did have experience, but there was no actual way the ladies could have known about that. For all they actually knew, she was the one corrupting him. The thought did make her chuckle. Straightening up, she placed the tomatoes and onions in their respective bags and walked to where she knew Peter was choosing the fresh cuts of chicken. Placing her produce in the basket he was carrying, Phoebe mumbled so only he could hear "Go with it."
Peter didn't react other than to glance at her briefly in acknowledgement. Just then, they heard the same group of ladies speculating that she must be his sister, or maybe his daughter. Another began to speculate about the way she could steal him from Phoebe. Phoebe smirked. Time to put that to rest. Linking her arm with the one that wasn't holding the basket, Phoebe leaned up against Peter, bringing her other arm up to stroke along his. Then, she leaned up to place a teasing kiss to his jaw.
Knowing that Peter had no qualms about being seen as the bad guy, Phoebe said "I'm still sore from last night. You have to be more careful next time." She let a playful pout appear on her lips.
Peter chuckled darkly, removing his arm from hers to place it around her shoulders and draw her closer into his side. Leaning down to nuzzle her hair, he said "I'll try, but it's so easy to lose myself when you do that thing."
The blush on Phoebe's face was real, but only added to their illusion.
All of the ladies who had been standing around admiring Peter gasped as one, and Peter almost laughed at the mixture of pity and jealousy that flooded their scents.
They checked out their purchases, and Peter kept up the charade, leaving his arm around her and periodically leaning down to nuzzle her neck or nip her ear. Phoebe gasped at all the right times, and kept her hands touching some part of him, stroking, or playfully slapping. The cashier was bright red by the time they left and they barely made it to the car before they both broke down laughing.
