The Pastor’s Jezebel Lover (6 page)

Her breath caught in her throat when he captured her. It was as if she’d been falling—falling into an abyss, and suddenly this strong man was here and caught her before she tumbled past the point of no return.

He caught her, and when their lips met, she knew he was the one. Not merely a man to sell her body to for the protection and support he might offer, but the man she’d longed to meet for all these years, fearing she never would.

The moment their bodies melted into a single embrace, she knew there was more to Ramon than a mere man of the cloth. He was a man with a heart, a man with a soul, a decent man. A good man.

She gave herself, body, mind and soul, and gave until she thought she could give no more and still her heart was nourished beyond overflowing. The more she gave, the more she received and when she wrapped herself around him, their mouths connecting and her body molded against his, she started to believe that perhaps there was a future for her—that there really was a future for a woman like her.

Though she’d fought the stories all these years, she now realized she’d unconsciously started believing them. She was a sinful woman, she thought, but Ramon made her feel as if all her sins were absolved.

She started removing his shirt, and when they were both naked in his bed, he really took her, and explored her body with an abandon and relish that had her whimper and cry out his name before he’d even entered her.

She offered him her bosom and he took it voraciously, licking his way along her breasts and suckling her nipples as if they were God’s gift to man. And when he finally plunged inside her, she arched up against him and cried out when wave after wave of the most delicious sensations in the world overtook her and slammed her into oblivion, a paradise of pleasure where they were the only two people alive.

Over and over again, she crested over into exquisite pleasure, and when finally he reached his own peak and shuddered inside her, she could see the love in his eyes, and she was delighted to feel it reciprocated within her being. This wasn’t merely a physical meeting of the bodies. She loved this man, his brawny arms as they held her close, his slender but surprisingly powerful hands as they caressed her gently and suddenly entered her center and made her come even when she hadn’t expected to. And when she caught a glimpse of his towering manhood, rising up before plunging into her, she thrashed like a young girl in the throes of her first love, and perhaps he was.

“Love,” she sighed as they lay huddled together, two hearts beating as one. She gazed into Ramon’s beautiful eyes, as she caressed his face. “Love, Ramon. I felt it.”

“I felt it too,” he admitted.

“I felt so much love it took my breath away.”

He merely smiled and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

She briefly wondered how to broach the subject of the trade she wanted to propose, then decided not to spoil the moment. He’d had her body, now it was time to solve her dilemma. Something told her she didn’t have to voice the sordid details of the deal she was proposing. He would understand. As long as he helped her out, he would have access to her body.

“You’re a lovely, Eileen,” he murmured. “Lovely beyond belief.”

She was glad she’d offered him her body. It had obviously pleased him, like she knew it would. Too bad, she now felt, she’d fallen for the man in the process. It was a risk, she knew. Each time she made love, her heart became involved. It had led to the disastrous marriage to Jack Rafter, a man who had never loved her.

She vowed not to fall into the same trap now. Though she might feel full of love for this man whom she’d just slept with, she wouldn’t be fooled into thinking he felt the same way about her.

He was a man, she reminded herself. And men never really loved a woman. Men lusted. Men gave into their briefly felt desire for a woman, but once they’d had her, they forgot all about her.

Ramon, it seemed, was already beating the odds of his sex by staying with her, enjoying the afterglow together, and if his kisses and sweet caresses were anything to go by, he’d want to lie with her again and again, this one time not fully satisfying the deep urges of his flesh.

Good. He’d want to conquer her over and over again, and as long as he did, he would keep helping her deal with the issues she faced.

And as she slipped into a deep and disturbed slumber, she had to admit that there was a part of her that hoped—no
craved
—for him to love her back.

She just knew that would never happen, and somehow, she would have to find a way to deal with this harsh truth.

“Look. There goes another one.”

Erin looked up from her slumber. She hadn’t been paying attention, the events with Suzie occupying her every waking moment.

A police car was racing past the school, its sirens wailing and lights blazing.

“Something must have happened,” one of the other girls in her class exclaimed.

“Probably an accident,” a boy thought.

Erin’s stomach tightened at the mention of the word ‘accident’.

Suzie still hadn’t regained consciousness. The doctors were keeping her in a coma, though Erin didn’t understand why they would do that. But her mother had explained that Suzie had been hurt inside, and that it would be better she healed while fast asleep. Once she was a little better, they would wake her up.

“And then all will be fine?” she’d asked hopefully.

Her mother had bit her lip, and Erin had known that she might never walk down the street with her friend again or go play behind the church.

Pray, Erin, she had insisted to herself. The nice lady from the church had told her to pray, so pray was what she did. Over and over again she asked the good Lord to take care of her friend, and make sure she got well.

She didn’t know if it helped, but she was adamant to give it her best shot regardless.

She watched as police car after police car raced down the small street where their school was located.

It seemed to her they were heading downtown. She just hoped that whatever had happened hadn’t been too serious. It wasn’t fun for anyone to have a friend getting hurt the way Suzie had…

Father Ramon was sitting in his bathtub when the sirens sounded outside his residence. He wondered for a moment whether he should step outside and take a look, but then decided against it. Probably a fire nearby, or a burst pipe. Nothing to get all worked up about, he reckoned.

So he rested his head back, and tried to relax.

Ever since the events of the previous day, he’d been edgy and nervous. First the accident with the little girl, then the whole mess with Eileen’s ex-husband, and then making love…

A smile appeared on his face when he thought of their union. He felt truly blessed to have been chosen by her. And choose him she clearly had. He’d never have crossed that threshold himself, if she hadn’t offered herself to him like that.

He respected her privacy and was not a man easily stirred into hitting on women. He was reticent in that respect, as well a priest should.

But Eileen was special. The thing was, he’d obviously developed feelings for her that ran deeper than mere physical desire, and though the experience was still fresh, he thought that with time, he could really grow to love her.

And then that thing with her husband had happened…

He didn’t know what to make of it. It was as if Eileen had suddenly been cast into a detective novel, her ex obviously some sort of demonic fiend intent on furthering her downfall.

He’d sworn he’d stand by her side, and he was going to keep his word, only things had gotten even stickier since.

Her lawyer had apparently disappeared. Even the people at the law firm didn’t know where she’d gone off to. And the husband couldn’t be reached either. After he’d spoken to the cops, he’d apparently gone off the grid.

What the hell was going on here?

He was surprised when the sirens seemed to draw closer, then were turned off directly outside his house.

With a frown, he rose from the steaming water, wrapped a towel around his dripping form, and took a glance through the bathroom window. He was surprised to find three police cars idling in front of the rectory, curious neighbors already gathering out in front.

And he’d just started toweling off, when the doorbell rang.

His face set, he quickly dressed and proceeded down the stairs.

He had a housekeeper, Gloria, but she only came in three times a week.

He quickly made his way down two flights of stairs and had arrived in the dark hallway only illuminated by the transom window when the doorbell rang again. This time whoever was applying his finger to the bell kept it there, the jangling sound echoing through the old house.

With a curse, he yanked open the door. When he saw five policemen hovering on the mat, he raised his eyebrows.

“Gentlemen? How can I help you?”

He had the distinct impression they hadn’t come for spiritual guidance, and when the first one opened his mouth to speak, this became obvious.

“Is Eileen Stoker here, father?”

“Eileen? No. I haven’t seen her today.”

There was some truth to the statement. Eileen had left very early that morning, not wanting to cause a scandal by being seen leaving by the neighbors. Apparently she hadn’t been fast enough.

The policeman looked confused. “She was seen entering these premises yesterday, and according to our reports hasn’t left.”

Ramon suppressed a smile. So she
had
been early enough to evade the neighborhood watch committee.

“I can assure you, officer, that she’s not here. She left last night and I haven’t seen her since.”

The man scratched his scalp, visibly embarrassed. “I, erm…”

Ramon stepped aside and held out his arm in a gesture of invitation. “If you like, you can search the house. But I can assure you she’s not here.”

“That won’t be necessary, father. I will take your word for it.”

“What is this about, may I ask? Is she in some kind of trouble?”

“Well, it’s not my place to tell, father…”

“If Eileen is in trouble, she’ll ask for me anyway,” he explained. “So you might just as well tell me now.”

“Well, there’s been a murder, father. A… woman was killed, and we have reason to believe Miss Stoker may be involved.”

Ramon rocked back on his heels from the shock. Murder! “Who-who’s the victim?”

The policeman briefly consulted his notebook. “A Mrs Doulard, father. She was Miss Stoker’s attorney and went missing a couple of days ago. The body was just discovered in the woods, Miss Stoker’s fingerprints all over it.”

Eileen stared out the kitchen window at the garden out back. Snow covered the patches where soon roses would spring up, the trellises now bare but with the promise of floral delight she’d come to appreciate so much.

Ever since she’d moved back home, this garden had become her safe haven. She spent most of her time in it, tending to it, nurturing it to life, and pouring all her heart and love into it.

Before, it had merely been a stretch of green, her father having decided mowing the lawn was as far as his gardening skills extended, the few bushes hugging the wire mesh fence to the right not needing much attention, and the picket fence that divided the lawn from the meadow to the left providing a pleasant look at the sheep that habitually grazed there.

She loved this garden, though, and had turned it into a thing of beauty. Being cut off from the social gathering of colleagues and friends, she’d come to live for the endless circle of life blossoming right here under her fingers.

The garden gave her life and joy and a purpose to live.

She soaped up the dishes, then dunked them in the second basin to rinse and finally put them in the dish rack.

Mom had gone to work, and now she had the house all to herself, just the way she liked it.

She’d snuck out of Ramon’s house in the very early morning, intent not to damage his reputation by allowing his gossipy neighbors to catch her sneaking out, and thought she’d succeeded.

The recollection of his body pressed up against hers still sent tingles of delight through her. It was as if his arms had held her close not just for the sake of companionship but in an effort to keep her safe from harm as well.

And in his arms she had truly felt safe. He was a man of God, granted, but first and foremost, he was definitely a man, and his strong arms and firm body had given her a thrill of excitement first and a wealth of comfort later, when they’d lain cuddled up in his bed.

She had to giggle. Sleeping with a priest. Of all the sins she’d ever been accused of, most of them made up, this was by far the worst. She wondered what her nemeses, the united old ladies’ front of Brookridge would say if they knew she had bedded their preacher.

They’d probably crucify her on the spot, if not in actual fact, then most definitely with their vile tongues.

She lazily dried the dishes, and wondered how she would fill the rest of her day when the phone rang.

Not eager to pick it up—she’d grown accustomed to distancing herself from any semblance of a social life—she projected her most formal voice.

“Stoker residence, Eileen speaking.”

“Eileen. Ramon. Honey, the police are on their way over there now. They want to question you about a murder.”

A rising panic gripped her. “What happened?”

In a few words he described the conversation he just had with the police officer who’d questioned her the day before. Her eyes went wide and she came very near to dropping the phone.

“Jacqueline? But that’s impossible.”

“She was found this morning. Look, I’m coming over. You need someone to help you face this thing.”

“Thing? What thing?”

Ramon was silent for a spell, then he spoke the awful words. “They think you did it, Eileen. They’re going to arrest you for murder.”

Now she did drop the phone, and when she’d finally retrieved it, tears had sprung to her eyes, and the panic that had started in her bosom, had now spread throughout her whole body. Trembling, she managed to stammer, “Don’t come, Ramon. Stay away from me. For God’s sakes, stay far away from me.”