Page 22 of Forgive Me, Father

“Are they good?” I ask, and her eyes flick up to mine as she shrugs one delicate shoulder.

“I haven’t tried one yet.”

“Mmm. Well. Always wise to do a little quality control.” I raise the strawberry to her lips and she opens instantly, taking the fruit into her pretty mouth. Her lips graze the tips of my fingers, and I let out a shaky breath at the contact. She bites down and moans softly, nodding.

“It’s good,” she whispers.

“Let me see,” I rasp out, and then I’m kissing her, sliding my tongue against hers, the sweetness of the strawberry hitting my tastebuds.

So much for being careful.

She whimpers against me, chasing my lips as I break the too-brief kiss. I press my forehead to hers, fighting for control. Fuck, I want to haul her up onto this counter and bury myself in her right here, right now.

“Stay after,” I say, a note of desperation in my voice. We don’t have anywhere we can be alone together. I live in the rectory house behind the church, and it’s divided up into three apartments with a common entrance, each occupied by a priest. She lives in a tiny apartment with her brother. But tonight, after Bible study, the church will be empty.

It’s wrong, but I don’t care.

Her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of pink, and she nods. “Yes, Father.”

Holy fuck, I’m so hard right now. I adjust myself, doing my best to hide my erection as I step away from her. “Did you get everything with Alessandro worked out?” I ask, deliberately changing the subject and shoving my hands in my pockets so I don’t touch her. Again. Yet.

She nods. “Yes. I’ve paid off his debts and he’s sworn to me he’ll never gamble again.” But her shoulders are tense, and I can tell she doesn’t fully believe him. I can’t blame her.

My fingers brush against the folded pamphlet in my pocket, and I pull it out, handing it to her. “There’s a free gambling addiction support group he can access, and they have online therapy available as well, also free.”

She takes the pamphlet, glancing down at it briefly before looking back up at me. “Thank you. I’ll pass this on to him and encourage him to do it. He’s young enough that nothing’sset in stone.” She sighs again. “He’s finished high school now, but doesn’t know what to do with his life. He doesn’t think university’s for him, but I don’t know that sitting around without any goals or plans is helpful either.”

I tilt my head. “Would he be interested in going on a mission trip? I know Father Thomas is still looking for volunteers to go to Honduras this fall to build a school.”

Her face lights up. “I don’t know, but I can tell him about it. It might be just what he needs.”

“If he’s interested, there’s an informational meeting next week. The details are on the bulletin board.” I step closer, practically vibrating with how badly I want to touch her. “And if not, we’ll help him figure something else out.”

“We,” she says, a soft smile spreading across her face.

I nod. “That’s right, angel. You’re not alone anymore.” I want to kiss her, to pull her into my arms and hold her, take on the world for her, but I can’t. Not here. Not now.

I pick up the tray of cookies and the plates while she gathers a handful of napkins and the bowl of strawberries. We have a mini fridge and supplies for tea and coffee in the meeting room. We make our way to the main level of the church, the worn wooden steps creaking beneath our feet. The stairwell smells like lemon pledge and incense, and I wonder how much I’ll miss this. There’s nothing stopping me from attending church, from still being involved. I don’t know how it’ll feel to be on the other side of the pulpit.

I’m ready to find out, though.

The meeting room is already buzzing with several members of our Bible study group, and everyone says hello as we enter. I set the cookies down on the table at the back of the room, and Olivia places the strawberries beside them, her arm brushing mine. I turn to the group, smiling warmly. I take a few minutes to walk around the room, shaking hands and greeting everyoneby name, asking about their families, their pets, their health. When I get to Olivia, I take her hand in mine, electricity shooting up my arm.

“Good evening, Olivia. How are you?”

“I’m pretty fantastic, Father. And yourself?” she asks sweetly, grinning up at me with mischief shining in her eyes.

God, I love this woman. I’ve loved her from the moment I first saw her, and I’ve fallen deeper and deeper with every interaction.

“Also fantastic,” I say quietly, grinning.

“That’s so good to hear,” she says, her cheeks going pink. She rolls her lips inward, stifling a giggle. I wink at her and then move to the front of the room. Once everyone has settled, Olivia takes an empty seat in the circle of chairs, directly across from me.

“Good evening, everyone. Thanks for coming. We’re going to get started, so please take out your Bibles.” I clear my throat, picking up my worn Bible from the small table beside me. “Tonight we’ll be discussing a book that’s a bit different than our usual fare.”

A few eyebrows raise, and when I glance up at Olivia, her gaze is locked onto me.

“Tonight, we’ll be exploring the Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon.” I can feel the ripple of surprise that goes through the group. “As much as we focus on the spiritual during our time with scripture, it’s also important to reflect on scripture that applies to our day to day, secular lives. Song of Songs is a book about love, desire, and intimacy. It’s a celebration of the human form and the sacred connection between two people when they give their hearts freely.”

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