Bend - Bromberg K.. Страница 52

A few quick tugs later, I exploded all over my stomach. One down, but I had a feeling it was the first of many for the day.

After I showered and dressed, I headed down to find Mom. She sat in her chair, eating something and watching the morning news. I contemplated making a big protein-rich breakfast, but opted for a protein bar and some of the juice I made the previous day.

I sat down on the couch and opened up my breakfast. “Take your meds, eat your breakfast, and when I get back, we’ll head out.”

Her brow scrunched as she looked at me. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just running down to St. Joan of Arc for a bit.”

She quirked a brow at me, a smirk forming on her lips. “Okay.”

I finished off my bar and juice, then kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be back soon.”

As I walked down the street, I buzzed with excitement. It was the official one-week anniversary since I first laid eyes on Hope. My plan was simple—have a talk with God. Then I would pray Hope stopped by on the same day every week.

When I walked in, a man sat near the front, but the rest of the church was empty. I didn’t let that deter me and slipped into a pew. I folded my hands in front of me and bowed my head.

“Well, big man, you found a way to get me here again.” I snickered as I looked to the altar. “As you know, a lot has changed for me this week. I can’t figure out if that’s you answering my prayers or giving me new challenges, but I feel more up for it.”

The old man at the end got up and walked slowly down the aisle and past me. A quick look around told me I was the only one there. The sun came out from behind the clouds and shined through the stained glass windows, bouncing color around.

“Mom’s doing better the last few days, and I found out I’m going to have a little niece. Can you take the cancer away so she can have time with her granddaughter? Please.” Tears began clouding my vision, and I swallowed hard. “She’s all Cassie and I have.” I wiped away the wetness and took a steadying breath. “Okay, Cass has Darren, but you know what I mean.”

The emptiness that had been missing for days washed over me again. I leaned forward and rested my head on my arms against the pew in front of me. The ache in my chest was crippling. When I thought I was going to burst, a tingling sensation moved down my spine and spread through my body.

I sat up and looked around, but there was nothing, no sound. Turning back around, I sighed and looked back up at the altar.

“I have to know…am I possessed? Whenever she’s near, I become some monster with only lust on the brain. Every part of me wants to devour her, touch every part of her body with mine. Repenting won’t do anything for me, because I want her, and I can’t stop even if I tried. Is that why you put her in my path?”

Again, nothing.

I got lost in my thoughts and stared. After a few minutes, I snapped out of it and prepared to leave.

“Oh, and one last thing. Please give me the strength to resist bitch-slapping my ex, because she really deserves it. And let me get through the dissolution of our partnership without too much drama. I’d appreciate it.”

As I stood, the tingling burst into a full flame, and I fell back into the pew. It wasn’t my imagination or some phantom sensation. Hope had to be there.

Footsteps bounced around the walls, and my body came alive with each one. They slowed for a moment, but I didn’t turn to look at her. The pace picked back up, and she took a seat in the pew across the aisle from me.

My whole body tensed, muscles flexing. I turned a little bit to look at her. Her eyes were closed, fingers clasped together, head bowed. I shouldn’t have looked at her, because once I did, I was transfixed and couldn’t look away. What was in her prayers?

My gaze moved down her profile, and my dick took note that she wore a skirt. When I looked back up, she was peeking over at me. I stood up and walked the few steps that separated us, then slid in next to her.

Being inches from her was painful. My cock screamed at me to touch her—lower her down to the bench, pull up her skirt, and plow right into her. I reached up and pushed the strand of hair blocking the view of her beautiful face behind her ear. The expression on her face made me groan—so innocent and so inviting.

Her gaze moved back down, and the full lips that I wanted nothing more than to have on me in any way were moving, but I couldn’t hear anything. With hands still folded in her lap, I realized she was praying. Being so close, I ran the back of my fingers against her soft, pink cheek. The current became too much, and she shuddered.

With a small “Amen,” she looked up and turned toward me.

Her eyes held me captive, and I ran a thumb across her full bottom lip. “Why are you here? What sins do you need to be absolved from?”

She blushed and glanced at the ground. “Why do you come here?”

I shuddered. I wanted to tell her I come for her, not for church.

“I asked you first. Why do you come?”

She stared at me for a moment, her tongue running against her lips, wetting them. “Forgiveness for the sexual thoughts that run rampant through my mind. I think the Devil is playing with me. His fires burn me from within.”

I swallowed hard, forcing my hands to keep still. After such a confession, I wanted to turn the heat up on her fire.

“Why are you here?”

I thought on it for a moment. There were many reasons. “Hope and guidance, and recently, forgiveness for my desire to corrupt what appears to be an innocent soul with sexual deviancy.”

She nodded. “The Devil has you as well.”

“A deadly sin has me—lust. It makes me a devil possessed with the desire for a woman’s body to be wrapped around mine. You have me.”

She smiled. “Then Hope has you.”

“I need Hope in my life.” My voice was low.

Her eyes widened. “You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean.”

I pushed her down onto the bench and trapped her body with mine, then crashed my lips to hers. My whole body shook, hands gripped tight at her waist. Her mouth was sweet, and I wanted to taste every inch.

“Oh, I know exactly what I mean. I want you.”

“Jared.”

My fingers dug in as I shuddered. The airy, wild way she said my name shot straight to my dick, rocking my whole body on the way down.

I nipped her bottom lip. “Say it again.”

Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me down to her as she arched up, eyes locked with mine. “Jared.”

I reached down and grabbed her thigh, pulling it up and spreading her legs to get between them. With a thrust of my hips, my covered cock pressed against the warm heat of her pussy. I groaned and took her lips as my arms pulled her closer.

Making out became dry humping in seconds. Her hands clawed at me, her body trying to meld with mine.

I reached between us and popped open my jeans. I needed her, was desperate for her.

The loud clang of the church door closing echoed around, and we froze. After a quick pause to listen, my head popped up over the back of the pew. There was no one to be seen, but the faint clack of more than one set of footsteps on the stairs alerted me to people being near.

Looking back down at Hope made me groan and press into her.

“Fuck, baby.”

Her eyes were heavy and dark, and her fingers played with the waist of my jeans, pulling me to her. I took hold of her hands and lifted her up, wrapping them around my neck until she was standing. When she stood on her tippy toes to kiss me, I didn’t have to lean down as far to close the half-foot height gap between us.

“Come on. Let’s find somewhere a little more private.” Fuck, I was going to explode if I didn’t get inside her now.

I scanned the huge room, looking for some place to hide away. There was always the bathroom, but my gaze landed on the ornate, carved dark wood of the confessional booth. I took her hand and yanked her down the aisle and into the confined space of the small confessional box. As soon as we were in, I sat in the chair and pulled her down so she was straddling my lap. My hand grabbed behind her neck and brought her lips down to mine.