Love's Broken Vow Page 4

  Moments later, there was a scene in the movie where a gross and badly decomposed corpse emerged from a lake armed with an ax. The creepy male character hopped inside a rowboat occupied by a group of six unassuming teenagers. His shell of a body was covered with blood and swamp slime. Growling and spitting, the ax man went into a chopping fit, swinging and slashing his deadly weapon. Royce screamed and buried her face in Father Gregory’s rock-solid chest when she saw the head belonging to one of the teenage girls disconnect from her neck and splash into the lake. The unattached head caused the water to turn a deep shade of red with her blood.

  Tyler and his friends thought the gruesome murder scene was cool and thrilling. They laughed and cheered their approval, totally entertained. The sound of loud, desperate cries and a dramatic shift in the movie’s background music told Royce the ax-wielding creature from the lake was not done with his fatal assault. She trembled against Father Gregory’s body and pressed her face closer to his chest. He draped his long arm around her shoulders, and it felt damn good. Royce was wrong for feeling the way she was feeling, but she was a woman, and for the moment, Father Gregory was just a man.

  * * *

  Royce turned off the television and tiptoed around the sleeping bodies sprawled out on the floor in the den. Father Gregory was a few steps behind her, admiring the view of her backside. It was tight, round, and the ideal size. He imagined it would fit perfectly between his palms as he rubbed and squeezed it while kissing her into delirium. Father Gregory hadn’t meant to moan, but the thought of holding Royce in his arms and tasting her lips and tongue had a powerful effect on his body. It was sensually explosive.

  “Did you say something, Father Gregory?” She stopped and turned around to face him.

  “No.”

  He followed Royce into the kitchen. It was way past midnight. Father Gregory had stayed at the party much longer than he’d planned to, but he still wasn’t ready to leave yet. He was torn between doing the right thing, the godly thing, and following his heart.

  “I have a nightly ritual,” Royce announced and smiled as if she were about to reveal something classified top secret. “There have been very few nights over the past three years that I’ve gone to bed without a cup of cinnamon and brown sugar tea. It’s an herbal blend that helps me relax. I definitely need a cup tonight after watching that awful movie. Would you like to try some?”

  Father Gregory smiled and took a seat at the table. “I’ll have some tea. Thank you. I must admit I enjoyed the movie. It’s not the type of flick I would’ve selected, though. You see, I’m more of an action and adventure fan, but the horror movie did hold my attention. I’m sorry it traumatized you.”

  “I’m fine,” Royce assured him, placing the tea kettle on the stove. “I missed most of the more graphic scenes. You should know that. My face was basically plastered to your sweater. I hope I didn’t wrinkle it or stretch it out of shape too bad.”

  “I don’t think you did any damage at all.”

  Truthfully, Royce hadn’t spoiled Father Gregory’s sweater one bit, but she had tortured his body. Every time her hands touched his chest and she buried her face against it, his belly flip-flopped. Her innocent movements caused tightening in his groin. The vanilla scent of her skin and her warm breath fanning over his sensitive pectoral muscles as she pressed her face closer to his chest intensified his erection. His rigid, engorged shaft had pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans for the duration of the movie.

  Father Gregory had been uncomfortable with his body’s compromised state, but he’d found pleasure in being so close to Royce. How could he have not? It wasn’t every day a man in his position could spend time and share space with a woman he was attracted to. Every moment in Royce’s presence was magical. She was the object of Father Gregory’s desire and his greatest temptation. Even as he watched her reach for the teacups in the cabinet, he wrestled with his flesh. He wanted to take her in his arms, kiss her deeply, and explore her body with his fingertips. But he wouldn’t be able to stop there. It wasn’t possible. His desire for her was too powerful.

  Royce turned around with a cup of steaming hot tea in each hand. She walked slowly over to the table and carefully set one on the placemat in front of Father Gregory and the other one to his right. He watched her as she walked around the kitchen gathering teaspoons, sugar, and honey. She was a vision of loveliness, wearing a red velour jogging suit and matching red and white sneakers. Her braids had been pulled back and secured neatly in a red elastic band at her nape. When Royce returned to the table, Father Gregory immediately got up and pulled out her chair like his stepfather had taught him. He retook his seat and smiled at Royce.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Tyler told me you want to go on a Christian mission to Africa. What countries are you considering?”

  “I would love to travel the entire continent if I could. However, I’ve narrowed my choices down to Kenya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.”

  “Why are you only interested in East African nations?”

  Father Gregory took a sip of his tea and chuckled lightly. “Good question.”

  It was a good question. But it was only the first of many to come. Royce and Father Gregory sipped tea and questioned one another on several topics as hours ticked by. They laughed, talked, and even debated a few issues. And they held nothing back. Each indulged the other on subjects that were serious and thought-provoking. There were funny moments as well. Royce had a great sense of humor, and she was very smart, too. The more she opened up to Father Gregory, the stronger his magnetism toward her grew. He ignored his need for sleep and the fact that he had an early morning meeting with the deacons at the church. Unknowingly, the extraordinary Royce Phillips had cast a spell on him, and he was defenseless against it. With every passing hour, he knew he should’ve left her, but he couldn’t. He was mesmerized, planted in his chair. It wasn’t until the dark sky began its transformation into dawn, with the stars giving way to the sun, that Father Gregory snapped out of his trance.

  “It’s morning. I didn’t mean to spend the night.”

  “You were invited to a sleepover,” Royce reminded him with laughter in her voice.

  “I was, wasn’t I?”

  She nodded.

  “Yet neither one of us slept at all. As a matter of fact, I cheated you out of some beauty rest, although you don’t need any. I mean, of course you need to rest. You just don’t have to worry about the beauty part.”

  Father Gregory drew in a deep breath when Royce lowered her eyes and blushed. Her humility regarding her stunning good looks was remarkable. If any woman had a right to be vain, Royce certainly did, but she chose to be meek instead. That made her even more beautiful. Her predawn glow made her look angelic yet sinfully irresistible at the same time.

  “Thank you,” Royce mumbled in a soft voice seasoned with shyness.

  “I only spoke the truth.” He stood from his seat.

  “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Thank you for coming to hang out with Tyler and his crew. I could tell he was happy you showed up.”

  Father Gregory smiled, and for the first time, Royce noticed a deep dimple in his left cheek. It was a total turn-on. Every woman appreciated a good-looking man with a great smile and dimples. The new discovery caused the imaginary butterflies in her belly to flutter.

  With his hands tucked inside of the pockets of his black leather bomber, Father Gregory stared at the ecru marble floor in the foyer briefly before he looked into Royce’s eyes. “I had fun.”

  “I’m glad you did.”

  He snapped his fingers as if he’d suddenly remembered something important. “Make sure you remind Tyler and his friends about the trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains next month. They’ll all need to come to the meeting on Wednesday at the church along with their parents to sign up.”

  “I’ll tell them.”

  They fell silent as
seconds passed. A longing, the likes of which Royce had never experienced before, swept her away and into another world. The man standing an arm’s length away from her was no longer a priest, the forbidden recipient of her affections. In Royce’s dream-filled eyes, he was the antidote for her ailment of an aching and abstinent heart. Her desire for him instantly upgraded to a necessity.

  Before rational and sound judgment could deter her actions, Royce threw her arms around Father Gregory’s neck and covered his lips with her hungry ones. She whimpered and moaned when she felt his strong arms encircle her waist and pull her body fully against his. Her tongue twirled, tasted, and teased his, and he became aroused. His penis, large and harder than steel, pressing against Royce’s lower body near her feminine spot caused hot liquid desire to pool in the crotch of her panties. She instinctively ground her vagina against his erection as his tongue twisted and tantalized hers. The spark that began with a kiss elevated to an inferno, threatening to burn out of control the moment Father Gregory lowered his hands from Royce’s waist to squeeze her bottom. She became weak and wanton. Her nipples hardened and tingled. She caressed his back and neck and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. The feel of his hands rubbing and gripping her backside was pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Royce was feverish with need. Her body and soul were on fire. The blaze was satisfying and sweet.

  The boys’ voices and the sound of the television in the den coming to life interrupted the kiss. Royce quickly stepped away from Father Gregory, trying to catch her breath. Her mind left the fifth dimension and returned to sanity. Royce felt ashamed. She avoided eye contact with Father Gregory.

  “Royce,” he whispered and extended his hand to her.

  She shook her head and backed away with tears in her eyes. “I am so sorry. I . . . I don’t know what came over me. I had no right to kiss you. I feel like such a fool.”

  “No. It was my fault. I could have stopped it from happening. I should’ve stopped it, but I didn’t.”

  “You should leave now.” Royce rushed to the door and unlocked it. “Tyler and his friends are awake. If they see you—”

  “I understand, but we need to talk about this.”

  “I don’t think so. Let’s just forget about it. Okay?” Royce lowered her head in shame. Tears spilled from her eyes.

  Father Gregory reached out and cupped her chin and gently lifted her face. Their eyes met. “I can’t forget about it and neither can you. We will discuss what happened here. I’ll call you. Goodbye, Royce.”

  * * *

  “Your sermon this morning was very moving, Father Gregory.”

  The priest smiled and shook the older woman’s hand. “God bless you, Mrs. Nottingham.”

  Once she hobbled away with the support of a cane, he reached for the hand of the next person in the long line of parishioners waiting to greet him. Careful to maintain his smile despite the inward turmoil raging within, Father Gregory greeted a young couple and their infant daughter. The hand shaking and the exchanging of pleasantries continued as church members made their way toward the priest.

  His eyes drifted to the back of the line, where he noticed Tyler standing. Royce wasn’t with him, and Father Gregory knew exactly why. She was avoiding him, as she had been since the kiss they’d shared. He had called her several times over the past twenty-four hours so they could talk about what had happened between them, but she hadn’t answered her cell phone. He then attempted to reach her on her land line, but both times Tyler had claimed she was busy cooking and hosting his guests.

  Father Gregory was sure she was having a difficult time sorting through her emotions over the kiss. He too was still trying to wrap his mind around it. Their passionate display of feelings they obviously had for each other would forever be embedded in his memory. He had relived the moment over and over again, recalling how amazing it’d felt to hold Royce in his arms and kiss her like he’d done a thousand times in his dreams. The pleasure far exceeded anything he’d ever envisioned. Her soft and supple body meshing with his as their lips and tongues mated was the most physically satisfying experience of his life. But it could never happen again, even though Father Gregory believed he would dwindle away and die if it didn’t.

  Tyler was now a few feet away. He smiled and waved at Father Gregory, and he nodded to acknowledge the boy. The next several parishioners filed past him in a blur. Their words and comments about the morning mass went unheard. Father Gregory didn’t even see their faces. Royce occupied every corner of his mind.

  “What’s up, Father Gregory? You did your thing this morning. I think King Solomon was a real cool cat the way he built that fly temple and all.”

  “So, you didn’t fall asleep during the sermon this morning?” He folded his arms across his chest and smiled.

  “Oh, no, sir. I was really feeling it.”

  Father Gregory hesitated, a little uneasy about asking the question that had nagged him all during the mass. But he needed to know, and Tyler was the only person who could give him an answer. “Where is your aunt this morning?”

  “She was tired, so she stayed home to catch up on her rest.”

  “How did you get to church?”

  “I hitched a ride with Mrs. Tennyson. That’s Rico’s mom. He was the last guy to leave the sleepover. I asked them to drop me off here on their way home. I was hoping that you would give me a ride back if you’re not too busy.”

  “No problem. I’ll drive you home, but you’ll have to wait for me to finish talking to the rest of the church members.”

  “Cool. I’ll see you outside.”

  * * *

  “Auntie Royce, I’m home!” He turned to Father Gregory. “I smell food cooking. She must be in the kitchen. Come on.”

  Tyler led the priest into the kitchen where they found Royce standing at the stove, stirring something in a saucepot. She was humming. There was another pot, a much bigger one, filled with simmering contents on another burner.

  “It smells good in here, Auntie. What’re you cooking?”

  Royce spun around with a wooden spoon in her hand, slightly startled. Then she flinched with embarrassment when she noticed Father Gregory standing a couple of feet behind Tyler. “I didn’t hear you come in, sweetie.” She approached her nephew and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. “How are you, Father Gregory?”

  “I’m fine. I missed you at church this morning.”

  “I was exhausted, so I slept in. Thank you for bringing Tyler home. It was very nice of you.”

  “It wasn’t a problem. Anyway, I thought it would give me an opportunity to talk to you about something.”

  Time was officially up. Royce hadn’t really expected that she could avoid forever Father Gregory and the conversation they were destined to have. It was inevitable. The air between them most definitely needed to be cleared so her world could return to normal, whatever that meant. Even after they set boundaries in place, and Royce was sure that they would, her life would never be the same again. She had experienced a gratifying release of passion in the arms of Father Gregory, and there was no way in hell she would be able to look at him as just her priest anymore. He was a sexy, desirable, virile man. She knew that now without a doubt. Royce had imagined what his tongue would taste like and how his body would feel under her fingertips. The memory of the pressure of his erect shaft grinding into her core caused a streak of heat to shoot up her spine.

  Royce swallowed hard. “Lunch is almost ready. You might as well stay and eat with us. You and I can talk afterward.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I’m sorry,” Royce and Father Gregory blurted out in unison as soon as Tyler left them alone in the kitchen.

  “I apologize for allowing the situation to spiral out of control, Royce, but I have no regrets.”

  “Do you mean you wanted me to kiss you?”

  “I must confess that I’d thought about it, wondering how it would feel. How could I not have? You are a very beautiful woman with a charming person
ality, and I’m attracted to you.”

  Royce sighed, looking into Father Gregory’s eyes. “I’m attracted to you too. What do you suggest we do about the chemistry between us? We couldn’t possibly enter into an affair, could we?”

  “Of course not.” He reached across the table, took Royce’s hand into his, and returned her gaze. There was nothing he desired more than a romantic relationship with her, but it wasn’t possible. Life seemed so unfair at the moment. “I’m a priest. It would be a sin for me to become involved with you. My vow to God and the church won’t allow it. I took an oath of celibacy. It’s a serious and sacred oath. I’m married to my church, Royce. There can never be anything romantic between us.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you really? I don’t want you to think that I’m rejecting you for any reason other than the religious calling on my life. You’re extremely desirable, Royce. The hours we spent talking that night were special. And the kiss . . . it was the most amazing experience I’ve ever shared with anyone. If I weren’t a priest, you and I would be together if you would have me.”

  “Oh, I would,” Royce whispered on a soft breath.

  “I’m sorry, but it just isn’t meant to be. We can’t ever be alone together again. The temptation is much too great. We’re emotionally and physically attracted to each other, so it wouldn’t be wise to test our wills.”

  “What about Tyler? Are you going to stop spending time with him because of me?”

  Father Gregory shook his head. “I’m committed to Tyler. I’ll continue tutoring and counseling him. He and I will practice basketball drills on our scheduled days as usual. But you and I,” he said, pointing his index finger back and forth between them, “we can only be in each other’s presence when others are around. Are we clear?”

  “Perfectly.”

  “Very well. Tyler’s first basketball game of the season will be Tuesday. I’ll be there to support him. I suppose you’ll attend.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be the crazy lady cheering louder than everyone else in the gym.”