Page 45 of Take Me to Church
17
LYDIA
IT FEELS EVEN stranger to be in the town I once called home than I expected.
I always knew I would be back, for this exact reason, but part of me was afraid to hope it would be so soon. I also expected to come alone. But right now I’m glad it’s not just me. Christian’s right. The second anyone from the church sees me, they’ll know what I’m up to, and any hope I have of getting Myra out of here will be gone.
So, as much as I hate it, it seems like I am essentially relegated to my hotel room.
A hotel room I will apparently be sharing with Christian.
He passes me the key card as we reach the door, waiting as I swipe it across the sensor. The latch flips open and I go in, holding it wide as he follows behind me carrying our bags. The room is as nice as can be expected, given we’re basically in the middle of nowhere, with a desk, a mini fridge and microwave, and a king-sized bed with bleached white sheets.
A bed I can’t seem to stop staring at.
Christian sets my bag down, looking the space over before going back to the door, his own bag still slung over one shoulder. “I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.”
“What?” I face him. “Where are you going?” I might have been a little surprised we would be sharing a room, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed by the possibility. “I thought you were staying here with me.”
Christian pauses, eyes dark as they move over my face. “Is that what you thought?”
I start to respond but stop. Maybe I’ve read too much into things. I sometimes forget how different I am from everyone else. That most people my age are significantly more casual about physical connections than I will probably ever be. Maybe what happened between Christian and me isn’t a big deal by his standards. Maybe I’m simply another woman who crossed his path. Maybe the hope that I was just as special to him as he was to me is as ridiculous as every other fantasy I’ve had about him.
“I guess I don’t really know what to think right now.” I force on the smile I always wear to hide what’s underneath. “It’s been kind of a crazy day.”
Christian studies me a second longer and then suddenly he’s coming my way, closing the distance between us in a few long strides. My breath catches as the front of his body goes against mine and he leans down, the tip of his nose tracing alongside mine. “You’ve waited a long time to be able to make your own decisions, Lydia. I’m not about to take that away from you.” He’s so close the warmth of his breath slides across my face. “If you want me in your bed, you’ll have to be the one to bring me there.”
I swallow hard. I’m not sure how I feel about that. On one hand I appreciate that Christian knows how important it is for me to feel like I have some say in my own life. On the other hand, I have no clue how to get a man into my bed. Especially not a man like Christian.
“But—”
Christian shakes his head. “No buts. That’s the way it has to be.” His hand comes up to trace against my cheek in a whisper of a touch. “I have no problem taking the lead, but that’s a right you have to grant me.”
The possibility brings an amazing amount of relief. I’ve struggled to make decisions since moving to Memphis. From my hair to my clothes to my body, I’ve stumbled over every choice I’ve made. It’s embarrassing. Frustrating. So much more difficult than I expected. And it makes me feel like a failure.
But Christian taking the lead would solve all my problems, at least as far as this particular situation is concerned. Technically I’m still making the choice—controlling my destiny—but Christian will be the driving force.
I swallow hard, struggling even to voice this tiniest of desires. “I want you to take the lead.”
Christian’s gaze fixes on my face. “Are you sure about that?”
I nod because asking for that one little thing was already almost too much.
Christian’s head tips, eyes barely narrowing as he continues to study me. “I’m not so sure you’re as ready as you think.”
What?
I lean back, more than a little surprised. “Then why did you offer it?”
“Because I’m greedy. Because I want everything I can get from you, Lydia.” He inches closer to me, suddenly seeming every bit as dangerous as I know he is. “I want to feed my cock into your hot little mouth and watch you suck me as I come down your throat. I want to lick your clit until your cunt is so wet I can hear the sounds it makes while I fuck you.” He leans in a little more. “I want to bend you over my desk and smack that sweet little ass until it’s pretty and pink and you’re begging me to fill you up.”
I wait for him to say more, drunk on all the salacious words coming out of his sinfully seductive mouth.
But a familiar sound steals my attention.
I turn to where my purse sits on the bed as the source of the vibrating buzz registers. I race to my bag on wobbly legs, still absolutely affected by all Christian said, but now also flushing from the dump of adrenaline suddenly pouring into my veins. I yank the phone free, swiping across the screen as fast as I can before pressing it to my ear. “Myra?”
“I need you to come get me, Lyd. Right now. Please, please,pleasetell me you’re here.”
