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I tipped her head back up with my finger. "I wanted to." I was unable to look away. "I should have." But even I can tell you deserve better than me.
Her eyes hazed over with a look I recognized. She was feeling the pull, too.
Just one more taste, I told myself.
My head lowered. She made no effort to move away, so I continued. Our eyes remained on each other's until I could feel her warm breath against my lips. I paused, one last chance for her to pull away. But she didn't. Instead, her eyes fluttered closed, and her head tilted to meet mine.
Our lips met, brushing each other's with the gentleness of a butterfly's caress. Once, twice, before I captured them, wanting more of her sweetness. She was tentative, maybe a bit unpracticed. But she was an eager learner. When I dragged my tongue along her lower lip, she reciprocated with my upper lip. When I bit the succulent flesh, she opened and invited me into the minty sweetness of her mouth. Her response was generous, sweet, and erotic in its own right because her responses were honest and unselfish.
Our tongues danced and teased while our bodies drew closer. It was only meant to be a taste, a sample to be tried and then moved on from. Instead, I found I didn't want to stop, like trying to assuage an unquenchable thirst.
I'd kissed many women. I'd always enjoyed the experience, but I’d never it craved it beyond a buildup toward sex. Usually, I was ready to move on to tasting other parts of a woman's body.
Now, I'd only touched Grace's lips, and already I knew this was different. Better. More; like a place where I could get lost and ignore the world. And if that happened with only a kiss, I couldn't fathom having every last bit of her. Knowing that would never happen,
I decided to enjoy the moment, to prolong the peace I found in her arms, forgetting the time and place where we were. Until...
"Grace! Are you in here?"
A male voice broke through my lustful haze. I wanted to ignore it, but the woman in my arms froze. She wrenched her mouth from mine, her eyes going from half closed with lust to wide open with alarm.
"Grace?"
"Oh, crap." She retreated several steps, smoothing down her dress and patting her hair with trembling hands. She drew a deep breath and turned away just as a man dressed in solid black except a white tab tucked into his collar across his throat came around the corner. I recognized the pastor from the wedding ceremony. Funny, I'd originally pictured him as a Friar Tuck type only with more hair. But now that he stood before me minus his shapeless robes, I could see he was broad-shouldered and appeared surprisingly fit for an older man. And he didn't look happy to see me standing so close to his parishioner.
Yeah, I've having sinful thoughts of one of your flock.
"Grace, we didn't know what happened to you. Everything okay?" He wrapped his arm around my companion's shoulders and pulled her further out of my reach, never removing his eyes from me.
"I'm fine." She stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek. He looked down at her and smiled.
Huh. Must be a close congregation.
"Are you coming back?" Suspicious dark eyes shifted toward me before settling back on her.
"I'll be there in a minute."
He remained motionless.
"It's fine, Daddy. I'll be there in a few minutes."
I did a double take. What the hell did she say? He was her father? And not in the church role understanding, but in the flesh and blood incarnate meaning?
Fuck me.
If I'd ever doubted God had a sense of humor, I had my answer.
4
Grace
Monday morning came around way too early. I stumbled my way into the bathroom. One glance in the mirror, and I knew I'd have to compensate for my lack of sleep with extra makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes.
I'd spent the last two nights tossing and turning before settling enough in the early hours of the morning to finally fall asleep. Not only had I not been able to get Jax and those kisses out of my mind, but I was still angry after being subjected to an interrogation by my dad at Sunday night's family dinner about why I'd been caught in a "compromising position" with a stranger. I knew Bellows Boy wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut. Good thing my dad hadn't caught what I was doing with Jax just seconds before he found me.
I'd assured my father I wasn't "compromised." Enticed? Intoxicated? Tempted? Sure. There'd been no mistaking that Jax wanted me; I could feel the evidence through the layers of our clothing. But compromised? Even if I'd been willing, how could I have been? One look at my dad and his stormy expression, and Jax mumbled something and excused himself. I didn't see him at the reception after I returned, so I never got to talk to him. Not that I knew what I would say. I mean, what do you say to someone you've never actually been formally introduced to but allowed to kiss you? Twice!
" Hey, don't worry about my dad. He can't really smite you with hellfire and damnation. Just kiss me again!"
