Iknow.
“How did this happen? When did this happen?”
I knew exactly when, because for the past few months, I’d been falling in love with this woman more eachday.
“I, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, but I can’t help how I feel about you. I tried to block it out. I reallydid.”
If it were anyone else, or a different time, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, and I’d be between her legs in seconds, slurping on the delicious feast she hid in her panties.
“You have to stop, Kate. I’m not good foryou.”
“Don’t you think I know that? You’re a priest.”
Oh, I was much more than that. I was a conniving beast who wanted to take this woman against the wall and fuck her senseless until she couldn’t feel a muscle in herbody.
“Yes, I’m a priest,” I sighed. It was becoming more and more difficult to repeat these words toher.
“Don’t you want to be one anymore?”
“That’s a tricky yet a very relative question.” It was also a question I chose to ignore. “Kate, what happened between us was wrong. Very wrong. I didn’t mean to test your faith that way. Notever.”
“You didn’t test my faith in anyway.”
Her stubbornness had no limits.
“You can’t be in love withme.”
“Yes, I know. You’re a priest. You’ve said that already, but I know what I feel, and nothing you say will change mymind.”
I highly doubted that. After Kate heard what I had to say, she’d stay as far away from me as I would need to be fromher.
“Kate—”
“Father, I don’t know when it happened or how it happened. I tried to stop it so many times, but you… you’re… you’re an amazing man and a priest. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for putting you in this situation.”
“And I’m sorry that I hurt you. We should leave.”
“You’re wrong. You haven’t hurt me. You gave me what I’ve been craving all my life. You gave me a sense of self-worth. You helped me believe that this world still has places like here, in this little town of Pace, that are peaceful and hold hope. Ten months ago I thought my life was over. I thought I had no one; and then I met you. You helped me believe in love again.”
“What I did was destroy your faith, Kate. Don’t you see that? If you cannot regret sleeping with a priest, then my sin will remain as deep as yours, forever. If only you knew everything.” I shook my head. “We can never be together, Kate. Never. You mean too much to me to drag you into my messed uplife.”
The sound of loud steps echoed through the church. Our heads turned toward the side entry leading to Father John’s office. I’d been at this church for a while now and I could pretty much distinguish every parishioner’s walk, but not this one. I haven’t heard such shuffling before. I grabbed Kate by her waist and pulled her into another confessional with me. The momentum didn’t stop us until I was sitting back in the chair, holding Kate in my lap. Her breathing against my face quickened, and as I hardened underneath her, I realized that letting this woman go would be almost impossible. I covered her mouth with my hand and held her tight against my body before slowly letting go of her mouth.
“We have to stop doing this,” I whispered.
“What?”
“You falling into my arms like this. Do you trust me, Kate?”
“Yes,” she replied right into my ear. Her breath carried her whisper like it was a hallucinogen.
“Good. Because you’re going to hate me for what I’m about todo.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
I crushed my lips to hers, seizing her surprised mouth. The forced kiss heated in an instant as she responded, but just as quick, I pulledaway.
“Sorry, but I had to shut you up.” Hopefully the kiss would preoccupy her mind for a little longer and she’d keep quiet. “We need to get out of here, Kate.”