Page 12 of Lust

“Whatever you say. Let’s go eat.”

I don’t argue with her, allowing her to tow me down the street to the café. Cress and Suzi chat about an angry customer who laid into Sheila while I figure out how to ask them about what happened with Roman. I think I just need assurance that I imagined the whole thing, that he was simply being kind.

I pay no mind to the quiet voice screaming at the back of my mind that I’m wrong. That Reverend Roman Stone was most certainly flirting with me, as was Blake at the bookshop yesterday.

CHAPTER SEVEN

ROMAN

Ihear Blake calling Sydney’s name as I reach the kitchen, and a minute later he walks in, glancing over his shoulder as though Sydney is behind him. But she’s not.

“What the hell happened? She ran out of here like the devil was chasing her.”

I huff out a laugh at that analogy. “Well, I imagine she probably thought he was.” I tip Sydney’s untouched coffee down the sink and wipe up where it spilled in her hurry to get away.

“What did you do?” Blake demands, stepping up beside me.

“Ha! I like the way you assume I did something.”

“You telling me you didn’t?”

I slam the cup onto the draining board having rinsed it and spin to face him. “No, you can have this one. As it’s all on you and your ridiculous idea of flirting with her.”

Blake laughs. “Oh my god. This is too good.” He continues to laugh as I move around him and head back to the office. “Where’s the old man?”

“Close the door,” I tell him as he steps into the office with me. “He called me late last night to say he’d being away another day. When I asked if everything was okay, he told me he had some other business to take of care and would be back later today”

“Okay, that’s not fucking suspect. We’ll get to that in a second. Tell me what happened with Syd first.”

I cock a brow at him. “Syd?”

“Yeah, you know, short for Sydney.” He rolls his eyes and waves a hand for me to stop delaying and get on with it.

I drop into the chair and explain what happened.

“I knew she was innocent, and I joked about her being virginal, but…”

I can’t ignore how much that idea arouses me, and from the look on Blake’s face, he feels the same. But I did my homework. Sydney isn’t a virgin.

“She’s not. And besides, while I agree it would be fun to fuck with her, she is not why we are here. And given her reaction to me just now, I’m not sure messing with her won’t bring trouble we don’t need.”

Sydney’s ex sounds like someone who deserves a few broken bones, and I can’t promise I won’t deliver if I ever have the displeasure of meeting him.

“Doesn’t matter. Leave her to me,” Blake says, getting to his feet. “I’ll see you at home later.”

After Blake leaves, I spend another hour going through Amos’s desk and office looking for anything I can use to help tarnish his so-called good name. He’s obviously not stupid enough to keep stuff here. That means he either has it stashed at his house or somewhere else.

Around four o’clock, I’m out in the main room checking and tidying, for the hundredth time, when a guy enters the main door. He’s in his late twenties-early thirties and wearing blue jeans and a hoodie. I can’t see his face properly due to the baseball cap he’s wearing. I keep my head down as I pretend to read through a passage in the bible from my position seated on the far end of the front pew and watch as he strolls down the centre aisle, scanning as he goes.

As he reaches the front and realises whatever or whoever he’s looking for isn’t here, I finally make my presence known.

“Can I help you?” I ask, dropping the bible onto the pew and walking toward him.

Catching my movement and looking my way, he scowls. The frown deepens as he takes in my collar. “Where’s Reverend Kincaid?”

“He’s not here at present,” I tell him. “I’m Reverend Stone. Perhaps I can help.” He begins shaking his head before I’ve finished introducing myself.

“Nah, I’m good,” he says, dismissively. “You know when he’ll be back?”

---