AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His words stung. “So, you’re advising me not to engage with him... yet, you kissed me?” I threw back at him, my voice trembling, my eyes clouded with frustration.
His face lost some of its composure, and his chest rose and fell quicker with each deep breath. He averted his gaze for a moment, perhaps searching for the right words. When his eyes found mine again, they carried an unsettling intensity.
“It’s in your best interest not to draw attention... these girls can get pretty envious,” he said, his voice grating in my ears. “About our kiss... I... I should’ve known better.”
His words fell on me like a heavy weight, flooding me with uncertainty and a sour sting of regret. My blood also boiled, and a hot flush spread across my cheeks. Deciding to save face, I mustered up my bravery.
“Fine,” I spat out, my voice sharper than I’d intended. “If you didn’t want to kiss me, then just say it outright. No need to beat around the bush like your convoluted scavenger hunt clues.”
He just stared at me, not with anger, but with a look of almost guilt.
Good.
I gripped the envelope so tightly in my hand, it crumpled under the force. With a sudden burst of energy, I spun around and stormed off, leaving him stranded among the silent, towering trees. The sound of my footsteps crunching the leaves beneath me was the only company I had as I shoved the wrinkled paper into my pocket, the weight of our conversation heavy on my chest.
I was so pissed at Father Mason. The way he kissed me wasn’t a mistake, yet what was he trying to do? Pretend it meant nothing? Fine, if that was what he wanted, but he couldn’t dictate what I did with anyone else.
The rapid thump of footsteps behind me and the crunch of leaves underfoot signaled he was following me. I glanced back, catching sight of the priest in hot pursuit. He’d hoisted his robe up, revealing jeans as he moved fast, the look on his face as grave as if he were about to lead a sermon.
I was done being his captive audience, done being confused. So, faced with the prospect of another elusive conversation, I chose the next best thing—I sprinted away from him and away from the cathedral for alone time.
My legs pumped beneath me as I ran through the undergrowth. Each heavy step sank into the cushion of leaves beneath, crunching loudly. Air whooshed in and out of my lungs, but I refused to stop.
His heavy footfalls echoed behind mine. Glancing back again, I caught his determination, his fierceness, and his long legs. He was gaining on me, but I wouldn’t make this easy for him.
In truth, I didn’t want to face him and have him tell me it was a mistake while I hadn’t been able to get him out of my head. Unsure what was going on with me lately, running made me feel better and distracted the emotions twisting in my chest.
I wove amid the trees, trying to throw him off. My heart banged loudly the faster I moved. The thrill of the chase had adrenaline shooting through me. Each breath I took tasted like freedom. Not only did my heart beat faster, but excitement pooled between my legs, the cool breeze swishing under my skirt, doing little to cool me down.
I was a whole bucket of confusion. I should be pissed at him, not turned on by him chasing after me, yet the fact he cared enough to come after me spoke in spades.
Then his hand closed around my arm, stopping me mid-stride. The momentum had us spinning, and before I knew it, my back was against a tree. His body was a warm, solid wall of muscle in front of me, cutting off any attempt to escape.
Mason leaned in, his breath puffing against my face as he struggled to catch his own. The sun streaming through the overhead canopy of trees painted him in hues, the fiery light doing crazy things to the blue of his eyes.
I gasped for air, my heart thundering in my chest.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to us? To me?” His voice was low, intimate, purring in the stillness around us. The question hung in the space between us, his stare probing me as if trying to sift through my thoughts.
His words confused me, flip-flopping from being drawn to me to not. My mind stuttered to a halt in complete shock. I was frozen in place, pinned to the tree by him, his face so close to me.
“What do you expect me to say?” I managed, my voice barely a whisper as his gaze held me captive, my body quaking on the inside.
“That you despise me, that I should stay away because I’ll only bring trouble to you.”
His constant push-pull left me dizzy.
“So, let me go then,” I demanded, my tone resolute.
As his hold loosened, I almost stumbled, the sudden absence of his warmth leaving a chill in its wake.
There we stood, locked in a silent battle of gazes. Logic dictated that I turn around and head back to the rest of the group, yet the magnetic pull of his voice, the smoldering intensity in his eyes promising pleasure, left me rooted to the spot.
What was wrong with me?
My thighs clenched for him.
“You’re not making it easy by standing there, tempting me. You want me to make the decision for you, don’t you?” His devilish grin returned.
