Page 47 of For I Have Sinned

“Can’t we skip it tonight?” My arms fold over my chest as he stands. “I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m afraid not. I know we agreed to meet in the chapel,” I didn’t agree to anything. “But since we are here, we might as well do the prayer now.”

I sigh. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

“Good.” He steps away from his chair and comes closer to me. “Now, kneel.”

Chapter 17

Father Alexander

Celine stands there, staring at me with wide eyes. Her hands are in front of her chest, palms pressed together as she is about to pray. I remain silent for a moment, taking in the tint of her cheeks.

They have blushed at hearing my demand, and it takes every ounce of strength not to grin at the fact that she has a reaction to me ordering her around.

She swallows, and her lips part as the muscles in her arms seem to relax a bit. Her hands finally lower to her stomach, still pressed together, when she grabs my attention. “Father Alexander?”

My eyes flick up from her hands to her puzzled expression, and I say, “We kneel when we pray. Do we not?”

“I didn’t think we were getting that formal with our nightly prayer.” Celine allows her hands to drop to her sides, but she still doesn’t kneel.

“We are,” I say, taking a step back to give her more space.

Licking her lips, she lowers herself to her knees, staring up at me through her thick lashes. My jaw tightens at the sight below me. I thought fighting not to smile at her flushed face after I told her to get on her knees was hard, but this? This is a whole new level of testing my willpower.

As she kneels there, waiting for me to join her so we can get the prayer over with, I imagine the other things I want to do to her in this position.

My hand twitches by my side as my brain begs for it to unbutton my pants and take my cock out. It’s pointless to think of anything else to keep myself soft because I am growing harder as the seconds pass, just from the way she is looking at me.

Her lips part again, and I so badly want to shove myself inside of her mouth to feel how warm it is. To feel the pleasure she would bring me.

I don’t even know why my mind is conjuring up these images. Sure, before I became a priest, I was sexually active. However, it was always casual, one-night stands. There was never a time when I saw a woman and thought of all the things I wanted to do with her. It never crossed my mind. But now that Celine barged into my life, it’s all I can think about.

Finally, I slowly make my way to the ground, kneeling in front of her. If I didn’t, then she would have definitely noticed the bulge in my pants. Even on my knees, I loom over her, which is bad for me because she is still staring up at me.

Clearing my mind, I begin the prayer. “Our Father, which art in heaven…”

She opens her mouth and joins me. “Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven.”

I drop my eyes to her mouth, watching how her lips move as she recites the prayer. It would be so easy to lean forward and claim her. To lay her on this floor and commit a sin that I pledge never to commit.

There is no denying that I want her. Even if it’s just a taste, that’s what I’m telling myself; maybe once would be okay. That God would forgive me for this slip-up.

“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.”

As she finishes the prayer, the corner of her mouth quirks upward. “Do we have to say it again since you stopped halfway through?”

“What?” I lift my gaze to hers.

“You didn’t finish it with me.” There is a shine in her eyes, and it is not because of the prayer. “Seemed like you were distracted.”

The teasing tone in her voice has me clenching my teeth. “All that matters is that you said it.”

“Right.” She nods. “Because I’m the one serving the punishment.”

I keep my eyes on her as she looks down at the floor. Without thinking, I raise my hand and tilt her chin up. The brief touch of her skin against mine sends an electric shock through my body. My heart thumps in my ears, and the pounding in my chest escalates.

One taste of her lips wouldn’t be bad.